Beirut Diaries is a documentary film by celebrated filmmaker Mai Masri.
- SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19 20h00
Bar Populaire
6584 boul. St-Laurent
entrance: free!
(metro Beaubien)
Montreal, Quebec.
Tadamon! invites you to a free film screening featuring Beirut Diaries from filmmaker Mai Masri, chronicling the major political change taking place in Lebanon in the months following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005.
* Beirut Diaries
Beirut Diaries focuses on the experiences of 25-year-old Nadine Zaidan, who was one of the thousands of activists who gathered in Beirut’s Martyrs Square in the chaotic days immediately following the assassination of Hariri in February of 2005, Beirut Diaries explores critical transformations and crucial questions facing contemporary Lebanon.
An insightful documentary from celebrated filmmaker Mai Masri, Beirut Diaries chronicles the political ferment embodied in the March 14th Alliance, referred to in the west as The Cedar Revolution, as people of all factions, ages and religious affiliations passionately debate such issues as Syria’s influence in Lebanese politics, the establishment of an international commission to investigate Hariri’s assassination and the organization of free parliamentary elections.
* Tadamon! Montreal
tel: 514 664 1036
email: info(at)tadamon.ca
As I do appreciate all the efforts gathered to make such documentary, but what’s the point?
Lebanon is a small country, we never fought for independence, independence was granted to us by big countries back in the days. We were created by the influence of the bigger ones. We never knew how to control a country and we never will.
A plain example are our politicians. Those same people that are ruling us in 2009 are those the same people that fought against each other in a war that lasted years, and yet we manage to reelect them again? Really? If one thinks that Lebanon will become a better place, then you’re wrong. The only way Lebanon will become a country is by eliminating (and by eliminating I mean killing) every single politician that took role in the civil war.
I am disgusted by our brain-washed minds that tells us who to follow. It’s one big game politicians use to play to let us either 1) leave the country, such as myself, or 2) keep ignoring and live to their conditions and their rules.
It’s a shame.
تعليق J — 19 septembre 2009 @ 13:38Hi J,
i agree with some things you say. While there are many people in lebanon and the region who fought and are still fighting for a true independance from hegemony or for self autonomy (in all forms, writing, organising locally), these are not the fights that are being recognized or talked about in the news. Instead, in the news we only listen to the speeches made by the leaders of the political parties and religious leaders, and these people keep talking about the ‘independance’ of a country which borders we idn’t even choose to delimit, and didn’t even delimit ourselves! (and we know very well that the borders delimited by Britain and France weren’t delimited randomly).
But if you agree that the polticians are only being recycled, then it’s a reason more to watch this film! It shows very well how at a time where there was potential for real change, when millions of people went down to the streets spontaneously and had a sense of **empowerment** that they hve not had for a long time (for exactly the reasons that you are mentioning), this potential got coopted again and as always by the poltiical parties, and everything was put to go under their agendas.
The lady in the documentary expresses similar cyninism as you.
The mistake here was that the people who refused that their movement be coopted by these recycled leaders gave up. and this is what helped with the polarisation of the situation…
enjoy the film 🙂
تعليق S — 19 septembre 2009 @ 19:52