Lebanese film directors pay tribute to the Beirut blast victims and a new initiative will save the Lebanese education sector
Report by Fouad Kazan
A tribute to the victims of the Beirut Port horrific explosion, led by the Lebanese filmmaking community and in collaboration with final cut equipped, Nov. 10, 2020, photo credit: The 961
New Update
A series of 15 short films depicting what occurred on the 4th of August has been released. Directors focused on the tales of survivors and backstories of the fallen victims. Several artists and filmmakers collaborated in this project, to immortalize the memory of the Beirut blast victims: “We tell their stories so they won’t be forgotten.” Each story describes a different event that occurred before, during, and after the explosion, and each one is told from a different director’s perspective. They highlight the victims’ amazing qualities and it shows the normal lives they led, and how it all went away in a split of a second. For instance, director Caroline Labaky chose to tell the story of the firefighters who perished first in the blast. She dedicated the episode “175” to Sahar Fares, Najib Hitti, Ralph Mallahi, Charbel Karam, Joe Noun, Elie Makhzoumi, Rami Kaaky, Charbel Hitti, Mithal Hawa, and Joe Bou Saab. It was filmed in a manner that would induce an emotion: These were good people performing their duties and didn’t deserve such a fate.
Other directors included in this project were Ingrid Bouab, Mazen Fayed, Karl Hadifa, Emily Sleilaty, and Wassim Sekkar.
Humanitarian Activities
UNESCO and Education Above All partner up to save the education sector in Lebanon, Nov.4, 2020, photo credit: UNHCR website.
UNESCO and Education Above All (EAA) launched a partnership for quality education in Lebanon that includes around $10 million to rebuild or restore damaged schools and get education back on track. This was in response to the deteriorating education sector in Lebanon, as many schools are unable to repair their damage infrastructure, let alone tending to the needs of their student who are unable to pay tuition fees.
As such, EAA and UNESCO have joined hands, with support from the Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD), to rehabilitate 55 schools, 20 TVET centers, and 3 universities in Beirut to ensure that learning never stops and enable children and youth to realize and practice their right to education. With initial commitments in place, work has already started in around 20% of schools. These schools should reopen between November 2020 and February 2021 depending on the extent of the damage.
Communication and Public Relations Department