“My last valentine in Beirut” is a Lebanese movie by Salim El-Turk and was supposed to be released back in May but for some reason it didn’t make it.
A few days ago I started seeing some posters announcing it will premiere in theaters on November 15th.
“Fetih 1453” is a new Turkish movie that started showing yesterday in Lebanon about the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans led by Sultan Mohammad II. And I’ve heard several times on the news that some people are finding it insulting because of how the Romans were shown in the movie.
With a budget exceeding 18 million dollars, “Fetih 1453” is a Turkish action film and one of the most important movies showing the conquest of Constantinople from the Turkish point of view.
However, the Byzantine Church in Lebanon seems not to agree with the Turkish analysis, and considers that the film insults Christian sanctities and symbols.In the past few days, a number of activists on Facebook have been protesting against the reformulation of the history of Constantinople in the film “Fetih 1453”, which, according to them, contains false historical facts.
These activists will be holding a sit-in on Saturday September 29 at 4 pm at Sassine Square in protest of what they consider “an offense to the Christian civilization”. They will also protest outside the movie theaters that will be showing the film expected to be released on September 27. Source
The movie is showing at City Mall and Empire theaters by the way, and I just found it available online here on Vimeo.
In the early 60′s, during the cold war and the apex of Pan Arabism, a group of students and researchers enters the race to space and create the Lebanese Rocket Society. Sometimes, and specially nowadays, dreams can overtake a tormented history…
You can check more about the film on its Facebook Page and official website.
The 10th Lebanese Film Festival is kicking off tonight at Metropolis Cinema (Sofil) and will last till August 26th. Make sure to check their program here.
According to this article, Tannoura Maxi has joined the list of banned movies from Lebanese cinemas after the Catholic Information Center requested the General Security to pull the movie from theaters.
I heard so much about the movie being lame and disrespecting to Christianity, but then again didn’t Nadine Labaki show goats inside a mosque in her latest movie “W Halla’ Lawein“? Why can’t the General Security in Lebanon set a standard once and for all and apply it to all movies? And how effective is the ban anyway when you know beforehand that the movie is going to hit DVD stores whether you like it or not?
Anyway, I just feel sorry for Joe Bou Eid because it was pretty obvious that he was spending lot of money on promoting his movie.
Tannoura Maxi is a new Lebanese movie that debuted in theaters yesterday, and tells the story of a priest about to be ordained but falls in love of a high-heeled girl.
Regardless how good this movie might be, it is yet another Lebanese movie with a story taking place during the war, and I guess people are fed up with this repetitive pattern in Lebanese movies. I mean we’ve enjoyed the first few ones like West Beirut, but the topic has been used and abused! Wouldn’t you prefer to watch Lebanese movies of other genre?
Some Lebanese chick who’s half silicon half human is doing her own reality show on YouTube using a point and shoot camera, and the result is a complete disaster so far. I can’t believe she could be serious about it!
“Worlds Alike” is a Lebanese new annual film festival that will be showcasing each year films from a country with a similar recent history to Lebanon. And in its first edition, 9 films from Ireland (listed below) will be showing at Emprire Sofil Cinema in Achrafiyeh.
Tickets will sell for 5,000L.L and you can check Metropolis’ website for more information.
Remember “Beirut Hotel” that was banned a while ago from cinemas in Lebanon? It’s going to be aired on arte next Friday (20th January) at 9:35PM Beirut time. Click here for more details.
via Patrick Semaan.
Danielle Arbid just posted on her Facebook page that her new movie “Beirut Hotel“, which was scheduled to be released on January 19th 2011, will banned because it endangers Lebanon’s security!
I JUST BEEN NOTIFIED THAT MY LATEST FEATURE FILM BEIRUT HOTEL CANNOT BE SHOWN IN LEBANON ! ITS RELEASE IN BEIRUT, ORGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR 19 JANUARY 2012, HAS JUST BEEN CANCELLED. THE CENSORSHIP COMMITTEE ARGUED THAT : “THE FILM WOULD ENDANGER LEBANON’S SECURITY.”
PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS AND MOBILISE AGAINST MIDDLE AGES CENSORSHIP. I NEED YOUR SUPPORT…
What a shame! As if the irresponsible statements (or farts?) our politicians make don’t endanger Lebanon’s security every single day!
Update (December 12, 2011):
The Daily Star published today that the movie was banned because it mentions the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri!
