« …Le cinéma pour avoir des nouvelles du monde… »
“…cinema is to have news of the world…”
TRIBUTE TO MAROUN BAGDADI
A pioneer filmmaker of Lebanese cinema
FLC’s Tribute:
FLC contributed, to the compilation and editing of the works of Maroun Bagdadi through bringing together all his films in a DVD box.
This Nadi Lekol el Nass initial project involved the restoration, preservation and broadcasting of Bagdadi’s films, as part of our Lebanese cultural heritage.
The films of Maroun Bagdadi were shot during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990) and many of them revolved around that war. They portray the fears of people struggling to make sense of the events and coming to terms with their own national identity amidst a fratricide war and sectarianism gone awry. They are as much a part of our collective memory as the events that helped shape them. We hope these films will open a portal into our no-so-distant history, raising issues that are still eerily present in our lives today.
But mostly, we want to reintroduce these works into the lives of the younger generations.
Other Activities…
• In 2013, the FLC paid tribute to Maroun Bagdadi through an exhibition during the Beiteddine Film Festival.
A book about the director was also published along with his latest scenario.
• Moreover, the FLC produced a documentary, directed by Marwan Khneisser, about the work and life of Bagdadi. The film was projected during Nuit des Mabrouk, a gala diner organized by the FLC.
• Maroun Bagdadi was also present in the Cannes Film Festival- 2013, through a tribute organized by the FLC at the Lebanese pavillon.
Meeting Maroun Bagdadi:
Maroun Bagdadi (1950-1993) ushered in the new wave of Lebanese cinema. His films were the voice of a whole generation torn by civil war and struggling with its identity. They depict the violence and the tragic absurdity of this war while hinting at the hope of reconciliation. Before the war broke out in 1974, he filmed *Beirut, Ya Beirut* for the IDHEC (Institute of Advanced Cinematographic Studies, Paris) with limited means. During his stay in the United States, he met a number of legendary filmmakers, notably Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese with whom he later collaborated. His first film, *Petites guerres* (*Little Wars*) was presented in the 1982 Cannes Film
Festival’s “Un certain regard” section, and introduced him to international audiences. Later in *L’Homme voilé* (*The Veiled Man*) he transposed the reality of the war in Lebanon to his life in Paris. In 1991, his film *Hors la vie* (*Out of Life*) won the Jury Prize in Cannes, tying with Lars von Trier’s *Europa*. In it, he describes the sense of fear and uncertainty linked to the war by adapting the story of French journalist Roger Auque, held hostage in Beirut.
Before his untimely demise, Bagdadi was working on his latest script. This movie would have reconciled him with his homeland where peace had finally returned. His filmography includes eight
feature-length movies, a dozen short films, several video recordings and almost as many unfinished projects.
Maroun Baghdadi’s filmography
Fictions:
• Beirut, Oh Beirut (1975)
• Little Wars (1982)
• The Veiled Man (1987)
• Lebanon, Land of Honey and Incense (1988)
• Marat (1989)
• Out of Life (Prix du jury- Cannes 1991)
• The Girl in the Air (1992)
Documentaries:
• A Tribute to Kamal Joumblat (1977)
• The Most Beautiful of All Mothers (1978)
• Ninety (1978)
• We Are All or the Fatherland (1979)
• The Martyr (History of a village) (1979)
• Whispers (with poet Nadia Tuéni) (1980)
• Appointment with the President
• Beirut Reconstruction
• War on war