Finding My Lebanon
This is the story of a “modern nomad”, the kind of man who was raised without any knowledge of his roots, his past, his heritage. Before his father died, the nomad interviewed him on their family history and for the first time his past was revealed to him through stories, pictures and never met before family members. The film captures the lives of three men: the grandfather who left, the father who died and the son who returned to discovery his ‘home’…and the Lebanon he found.
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Mark AbouzeidDirectorIntervista con l'Assassino, Lebanon: A Day in the Life; Lost Cheese of the Lebanese Mountains (Slow Food)
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Leena SaidiProducerThe World According to Monsieur Khiar
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Project Type:Documentary, Short
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Runtime:21 minutes
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Completion Date:February 15, 2016
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Production Budget:25,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:Lebanon
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Language:Arabic, English
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Shooting Format:4k Sony xvac Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Cannes Film Festival 2016Cannes
France
May 18, 2016
World Premiere
Creative Minds Group Finalist Screening -
Lebanese Film Festival 2016Sydney
Australia
August 28, 2016
Australian Premiere -
Beirut International Film Festival 2016Beirut
Lebanon
October 6, 2016
Lebanese Premiere
Finalist ME Documentaries -
PickurFlick Indie Film FestivalPondicherry
India
December 16, 2017
Best Documentary Short -
The Macoproject Film FestivalNew York
United States
August 31, 2017
2nd Place Short Docs -
Ethnografilm 2018Paris
France
April 3, 2018
Official Selection -
Pondicherry International Film Festival 2018Pondicherry
India
September 26, 2018
Official Selection
Born in 1962 to a Lebanese American immigrant, Mark Abouzeid has been filming the oral histories, living culture and human endeavours of people around the globe for over 15 years. His short film, “Interview with an Assassin”, was shortlisted by the Florence Film Festival and his documentary work on the Dying Seas will be the centrepiece of exhibits at the Maritime Museums of Valencia, Barcelona and EU Maritime Museum in Marseille.
“Finding My Lebanon” represents a way to preserve values and traditions, the stories of the past and of the present, and above all a step forward towards peace within my own conflicting cultures. As a Lebanese American, my heritage was often something to be hidden from others, especially post 9/11. Making this film helped me better understand who I was and the vibrant culture Lebanon is today.
This short film is a first step to open a new window on Lebanon, banning clichés and promoting a country on the move. It is a story that will help all of us question who we are, and why we are the way we are.