Breakfast in Beirut | |
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Directed by | Farah ALHashem |
Written by | Farah ALHashem, Awatif Zaine |
Produced by | Farah ALHashem |
Production company | VioletSkye Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 72 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | Arabic |
Breakfast in Beirut is a 2015 documentary film by VioletSkye Films. It was written, directed, and produced by Farah ALHashem. [1] [2]
ALHashem is a Lebanese-Kuwaiti filmmaker who has made seven short films since 2011 including 7 Hours, which won several awards at film festivals in 2013. [3] She has a degree in journalism from Lebanese American University and a MFA degree from New York Film Academy. [4]
In 2014, the official Avant Premiere of Breakfast in Beirut was held at the Metropolis Sofil Theater in Beirut while the official international premiere in Paris at Le Brady Cinema in April 2016. [5] Breakfast in Beirut received an honorary recognition by the municipality of Treviso, Italy and in collaboration with the Gallery "Made In" Venice, Italy as they decided to name their art festival “Breakfast in Beirut Art Festival” in honor the film and ALHashem. [6] [7]
The cast features Farah ALHashem, Zeina Makki, Layal Badaro, Badih Abou Chakra, Natasha Choufani, Abdelrahim Awji, and Mahmoud Hojej. Awatif Zaine served as the Production Supervisor.
This film focuses on a Kuwaiti student along with her Lebanese friends. The interviewees share their intimate tales of Beirut mixed with the fictional story of a group of people and the memories of their life in Beirut while expressing their discontent and, at the same time, revealing a deep connection with the city. Breakfast in Beirut is a series of tales from an inspired life story about a young woman who lost her soul mate. Even though Beirut in 2005 - 2009’s political crisis was a never ending crisis, this young woman found Beirut to be the land of dreams and the safest place on earth for her eternal love to him. [8]
The culture of Lebanon and the Lebanese people emerged from various civilizations over thousands of years. It was home to the Phoenicians and was subsequently conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks and the French. This variety is reflected in Lebanon's diverse population, composed of different religious groups, and features in the country's festivals, literature, artifacts, cuisine and architecture of Lebanon. Tourism in Lebanon is popular with periods of interruption during conflict.
Nadine Labaki is a Lebanese and Canadian actress, director, and activist. Labaki first came into the spotlight as an actress in the early 2000s. Her filmmaking career began in 2007 after the release of her debut film, Caramel, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. She is known for demonstrating everyday aspects of Lebanese life and covering a range of political issues such as war, poverty, and feminism. She is the first female Arab director to be nominated for an Oscar in the category for Best Foreign Language Film for third directorial effort, Capernaum (2018).
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Farah ALHashim is a Kuwaiti-Lebanese filmmaker and journalist based in Paris. ALHashim has been making films since 2011 including 7 Hours, which won several awards at film festivals in 2013 and Breakfast in Beirut in 2015, which was honored at multiple festivals.
Bita Elahian (Alahyan) (Persian: بیتا الهیان), is an Iranian-American filmmaker and actress, who is currently living in Los Angeles, California. She has studied filmmaking at New York Film Academy (NYFA). Elahian has received various awards for her directing in drama films. She is a member of Women in Film LA and New York Women in Film & Television.
Martyr is the second feature film by Lebanese writer and director Mazen Khaled. The film was selected for screening at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in the Biennale College - Cinema section, where it was nominated for the Queer Lion award, and at the 2018 SXSW in the Global section. Martyr was produced by Diala Kachmar of Artrip Production and is distributed in North America by Breaking Glass Pictures and in the UK by Peccadillo Pictures. Martyr was described by Indiewire as "One of the most under-appreciated films of 2018". It features a large ensemble cast led by Carol Abboud, Hamza Mekdad, and Moustafa Fahs.
Mazen Khaled is a US based Lebanese director, Screenwriter, editor and producer. He is mostly known for his 2017 feature film Martyr which was screened at the 74th Venice International Film Festival and was nominated for the Queer Lion award. It was also selected for screening at the 2018 South by Southwest film festival in the Global section. Khaled also won the award for Best Artistic Achievement at the 2018 Alexandria International Film Festival for his work on Martyr. Khaled's 2010 short film My Queer Samsara (2010) premiered at the 2010 The International Film Festival Rotterdam. His other notable works as a director include A Petty Bourgeois Dream (2016), A Very Dangerous Man (2012), which was nominated for a Muhr Award at the Dubai International Film Festival, and Our Gentleman of the Wings (2010).
Farah is a 2022 Emirates-produced Lebanese psychological thriller directed by Emirati-British couple Hassiba Freiha and Kenton Oxley. The film was written by Freiha, starring Lebanese actors Stephanie Atala, Majdi Machmouchi, Nader Abd Alhay, and Youssef Boulos. The theme song “Try to remember” was performed by English musician and mental health activist Boy George, and protagonist Stephanie Atala. The film follows Lina (Atala), a pre-med student in the US, who struggles with exacerbating anxiety, low mood, and recurrent nightmares. The story explores big pharma and mental health, as well as failing family dynamics in modern Lebanon. The title of the film means “joy” in Arabic ; it refers to the street name of Xapa, a prescription antidepressant used recreationally in the film. Farah premiered at the 2022 Beirut International Women Film Festival, and was commercially released on 24 November 2022 in Lebanese cinemas. It was also released on Netflix on 8 December 2022. It garnered favorable reviews and a number of regional and international honorable mentions and awards.
Youssef Boulos is Lebanese stage and film actor. He received critical acclaim for his performance opposite Lebanese-French actress Stephanie Atala in the 2022 Lebanese film Farah. Boulos' good looks, and his resemblance to popular Turkish actor Berker Guven, made him a heartthrob among Lebanese women.