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November 9 - 16, 2014 - 6:00 pm | Bechara El Rahi Theater Notre Dame University-Louaize, Main Campus In Partnership with In Collaboration with With the Support of Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Media Partners TABLE OF CONTENT WELCOME NOte 5 HONORING DURAID LAHHAm 6 LEBANESE STUDENTS SHOrtS 8 LEBANESE INDEPENDENT SHOrtS 34 INTERNATIONAL SHOrtS 39 SPECIAL SHOWCASe 52 INTERNATIONAL GUESTS 59 JURY MEMBERS 73 NDU CINE-CLUB UPCOMING MOVIES 86 FILM FESTIVALS AT NDUIFF 88 NDUIFF’S MANAGEMENT 90 NDUIFF’S TEAm 92 SCREENING PROGRAm 94 5 WELCOME TO THE 8TH NDUISFF At the dawn of this 21st century, I see fear in the eyes of all those who believe in “Beauty” and in its power to save the world. I see youth growing old in despair, afraid to dream, even afraid to pray, to love, to commit to another, to partake in joyful events, to live the simple, daily pleasures of life. Are they afraid that «Ugliness» may steal our lives from us? Today, I invite you all to believe in beauty again, to remember all the beautiful moments in our lives; the beauty of birth, the reincarnation of nature, the beauty of a loved one’s laugh, a kiss, the warmth of a hug, the beauty of the first raindrops in fall, of a blossoming flower, of the morning breeze on our faces, the beauty of washing away a tear and then sharing a smile. I invite you all to bring beauty back into our lives. NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth” believes in “Beauty”, preaches “Beauty” and works to spread “Beauty” all around us. Your Ideas, your vision, and your perseverance, all marked in your films participating today in the 8th NDU International Film Festival, are a part of this beautiful dream… 8th NDU International Film Festival “The Power of Youth”, reflects “The Power of Your Beauty” BEAUTY WILL SAVE Sam Lahoud Founder, Director NDU International Film Festival THE WORLD - FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY Duraid Lahham was born and raised in Damascus in 1934. He grew up in relative poverty, and studied chemistry at Damascus University, which qualified him for a well-paying job as an instructor at the Chemistry Department. Lahham was always enchanted by the theatre, participating in several plays during high school and college, while playing the clarinet in the high school band. While teaching at university, he started to give dance lessons and befriended the artistic community in Syria. When Syrian Television was inaugurated in 1960, its director Sabah Qabbani hired Lahham to star in a mini-series called Sahret Dimashq (Damascus Evening) with the already established stage actor Nihad Qali. The two men created a duo called «Duraid & Nihad» and achieved dramatic success in the Arab World from 1960 until Qali retired from acting due to illness in 1976. From then on, Lahham acted, directed, and wrote the screenplay for all of his works, and continues to do so until the present. His theatre was always greatly and visibly influenced by the musicals of the Lebanese artist Asi al-Rahbani and his wife, the diva Fayruz. Political events influenced him greatly as well, transforming his career from that of a comedian, into a political satirist. He was shocked by the collective Arab defeat of 1967, and greatly disturbed by separate peace of Egypt with Israel in 1978. In the early 1960s, Lahham abandoned university teaching to devote his time fully to acting, although this was viewed, by the conservative society in Damascus, as un-wise, since teaching was a respectable and stable job, while actors were not highly respected, under-paid, and had an uncertain future. He later claimed that devoting his life to art was one of the wisest decisions he ever made, since he achieved more success as an actor than any other profession, including university instruction, would have provided. In 1976, President Hafez al-Asad decorated Lahham with the Medal of the Syrian Republic, Excellence Class. He was also given medals of recognition for his work by Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, who gave him the same medal in 1979, and TRIBUTE Libyan leader Mu’ammar al-Qaddafi in 1991. Nine years later, Lebanese President Emile Lahhoud awarded Lahham the Order of Merit of the Lebanese Republic in a ceremony held at the American University of Beirut (AUB), granted through the Syrian Culture &HONOR Club at AUB. In 1997, in recognition of his two children’s productions, the movie Kafroun in 1990 and the play Al-Usfura al-Sa’ida (The Happy Bird) in 1992, he became the UNICEF representative in Syria for children’s affairs. He performed several television TO THE series aimed at increasing awareness of the problems of children. Then in 1999, he became UNICEF Ambassador for Childhood in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2004, he left his job at UNICEF after paying a visit to South Lebanon, to the districts liberated from Israeli occupation in 2000. At the Lebanese-Israeli border, he gave a press conference, criticizing George W. Bush LEGEND and Ariel Sharon, comparing both men to Hitler. The statement was published in Lebanon and re-published in Israel, causing Tel Aviv to protest to the UNICEF that its goodwill ambassador was using un-diplomatic language. The UNICEF asked him whether the statement was correct, and when he confirmed that it was, they sent him a letter, thanking him for his services since 1997. He considered this an indirect message, relieving him of his duties at UNICEF. Currently, Duraid Lahham still lives in Damascus, and is devoted to his family, spending a lot of his time with his children and grandchildren. His first wife May al-Husayni bore him two children, Tha›er and Abeer, while his second and current wife Hala al-Bitar bore him his youngest daughter Dina. SHORTS SELECTION LEBANESE STUDENTS 9 IESAV AUT WITH THY DIRECTOR ON THE DIRECTOR KARIM ALEXANDRA SPIRIT RAHBANI STREET KHOURY N N O O FICTI FICTI 17 min. 10 min. Cast: JOSEF CHEMALY | ABD EL HADY ASSAF | KAMIL Cast: MArtINE BOU YOUNES | JOSEPH DAOU YOUSSEF | MICHEL ADABACHI Production: 2013 Production: 2014 Father Geryes, a priest leading a peaceful life within his When she was in the heart of Beirut down town, monastery in Lebanon finds himself involved in a tragic searching for a life sign to shoot her project entitled life in accident. Will he have enough courage and integrity to the city, Lama will meet Jad, a strange guy who will show face the consequences of his actions? Will he be able to her the real streets life and teach her a lot of things that tell his fellow priests about the incident? she ignored. But a weird thing will occur, leading Lama to change her entire story. 10 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AKU UPA DIRECTOR THE LOST DIRECTOR VAK ELIE RABIH AL MEMA LETTER BITAR N N O O FICTI FICTI 10 min. 12 min. Cast: OUMAYYA LAHHOUD |BAYAN ABOU CHAKRA | Cast: MICHEL BTEICH | SAYDEH AKIKI ILYES HAYEK | LOUTFALLAH BOU KHAZEN Production: 2014 Production: 2014 VAK an Eight years old child, a very imaginative child. A After the loss of his younger brother in the Lebanese war, daydreamer - has his unique view and perception of the Tony lived his life taking good care of his family with deep outside world as unique and different with its own colors, sadness in his heart because of this loss. shapes, and emptiness. The film is somehow a journey A lost letter from his younger brother finally arrives to between the abstractness of the characteristics that Tony’s hands after his mother’s death. builds up the story, the realm and the roughness of his mystery. 11 LGU LU1 YA SHAMES DIRECTOR DIRECTOR CHRISTELLE NAFAS FARAH ABOU YA SHAMOUSEH NICOLAS KHARROUB N N O O FICTI FICTI 12 min. 15 min. Cast: VALENTINA AOUN | ABDALLAH ZEINEDDINE | Cast: REBECCA BITAR YEHIA JABER | AMAL DIAB Production: 2014 Production: 2014 Judy is a little girl who lives with her grandmother. Nahlan is trying her best to break free from the walls that After she lost her first tooth, she thought that she the society built around her. After moving to the city, she started envying people and infecting them with her look follows her own dreams to become a successful model. especially after all the situations she went through. Her Through her journey, she meets so many people that grandmother is trying to convince her that she’s not in change her life. After her big accomplishment, she goes trouble. back to confront her parents. 12 INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NDU IESAV DIRECTOR EArtHWORM DIRECTOR GALLE ANTHONY NADIM HENEINE SEASON HEJEILI N NTARY O E FICTI CUM O D 10 min. 16 min. Cast: CHRISTELLE CHEBLI Cast: HIAM ABOU CHEDID Production: 2014 Production: 2014 A father living abroad sends e-mails to his 12-year-old Having discovered my family archives, I try to understand daughter telling her stories about the many adventures the story behind it. A history unfolds, one of wars, fear & he had in the various cities of Sri Lanka. After 10 years, hiding; but also, one of children, family gatherings & rare she decides to relive his journey and visit all the places he occasions of happiness. My mother tells me the story, wrote her about. Her voyage ends in Galle where she last answering my questions, yet something seems to linger read from her father. behind. Untold memories & an unrevealed truth hide behind her testimony. 13 ALBA USEK DIRECTOR DIRECTOR MASSOUD TANIA MANUSCRIPT MANSOUR ISKANDAR AOUN N O N O FICTI ANIMATI 4 min. 16 min.