NNA - At this moment when the Lebanese are going through the worst crisis in their modern history, existential, political and economic, and helplessly witnessing the massive exodus of their youth, BAFF will highlight, in this VIIth Edition, prominent artistic revolutions and few great cultural battles led by films directors, visual artists, writers, architects, dancers all around the world; and who inspired and then paved the way for changes to the better.
Therefore, it is with a program spread over a full year, from November 18 to 28, 2021, at the Monnot Theater in Ashrafieh, then from December 12, 2021 to October 30, 2022 online, that the Beirut Art Film Festival and its cultural partners, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Embassies of the United States of America, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and the Goethe Institute stand to affirm their confidence in the search for a better future for Lebanon and for its people. Partners, coming from diverse horizons, join their efforts to participate into the cultural survival of Lebanon, beyond the surrounding distress and gloom; material bankruptcy must not in any case become cultural; because without culture there is no society.
Art is inspiration, and cinema its diffusion.
The pandemic, the economic bankruptcy then the double explosion of August 4, 2020 bore down on Beirut cinemas, that closed their doors one after the other. Two years of prolonged confinement affected both cultural and social life. Directors and actors are deprived of their audience, which is now deprived from recent national and international productions; this VIIthEdition of BAFF is largely dedicated to cinema and its revival, BAFF calls and will act for the urgent return of the 7th art in theaters all over Lebanon.
After each screening, whether it is in person or online, BAFF will offer discussions around the film between the audience and art historians. Rendezvous throughout this cultural year with George Arbid, history of architecture; Caroline Hatem, history of dance; May El Koussa and Hady Zaccak, history of cinema; Lama Tyan, history of music; Vincent Cartuyvels, Alice Mogabgab Karam and Jean-Philippe Theykens, art history.
Finally, because art only touches deeply into the heart when it participates in the fight for dignity, the organizers of BAFF are proud to offer entirely ticket sales at the Monnot Theater sessions to the Lebanese NGO AFEL, Association du Foyer de l'Enfant Libanais, which has become a reference in Lebanon in the field of protection and education of destitute and mistreated children. Tickets are on sale for 30,000 L.L. at the entrance to the theater before screenings.
Online events, from December 12, 2021 to October 30, 2022, are all free.
Les Rendez-vous during this VIIth Edition
The “Golden Fireflies”, an annual prize, newly founded by the BAFF and rewarding the women of Lebanon in their commitments to civil society, will be awarded after the screening to Zeina Daccache, actress, director and producer, founder of Catharsis, association working for therapeutic theater.
