The One Man Village by Simon El Habre

Semaan is a farmer leading a quiet life, in the small village of Aïn El Halazoun, in the Lebanese mountains. He wakes up at the crack of dawn, tends to his cows and other animals and prepares the produce he will sell at the market…

During the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), Aïn el Halazoun was completely destroyed and eventually deserted. Its original inhabitants, all from the “El Habre” family, regularly go back to the village to visit their houses and cultivate their plots of land, but they always leave before sunset.

By observing life in a quasi-ghost village, the film reflects upon collective and individual memory, in a country whose inhabitants seem unwilling to learn from their past, even while on the brink of a new civil war.

The film has received the several awards such as Muhr Arabic Documentaries – Special Jury Prize - International Film Festival Dubai (UAE - 2008), and Best International Feature Documentary - Hot Docs (Canada - 2009).

This screening, which is presented in collaboration with MC Distribution and Beirut DC, will be followed by a Q&A with director Simon El Habre.