Three years after the beginning of the civil war, the filmmaker returns to her city for several months. Living between this war-torn country and a country in peace, she tries to readapt to daily life in Beirut. Public transport in the city no longer exists. The filmmaker gets an old bus up-and-running, provoking a disconcerting return to normality in this city at war: People climb onto the bus that they see as a place of security.

Lebanon | 1978 | 57 mins

Arabic and French with Arabic and English subtitles. 

This screening has been made possible by the Jocelyne Saab's Friend Association.

Lettre de Beyrouth will be followed by a discussion between Fawaz Traboulsi and Mohamed Soueid. They will analyse Jocelyn Saab’s documentation work during the Lebanese civil war, especially in Beirut – arguably the most prominent witness of these years of conflict. They will also explore the theme of the memory held in the city and its spaces – a theme that has dominated Lebanese cinema since the beginning of the war and until today.

Partners: Beirut DC