Beirut: Hana Toby
Lebanese director and scriptwriter Elie Dagher studied contemporary art and modern media, and professionalized the seventh art by presenting several films that participated in Arab and international festivals, most notably his film “Move 98”, which made him the first Arab director to win the Golden Palm for best short film at the Cannes International Film Festival. He was followed by his new film “The Sea Before You”, which was recently shown at the 75th session of the Cannes Festival, then toured to participate in the Red Sea International Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival, to move to Cinema Akil in the UAE, an independent film platform that presents quality films, and then to a group From the Arab halls in the Gulf, to Lebanon, where he participates in the Beirut Days Festival and is shown in the halls..
Dagher says that his new movie is realistic with distinction, and that it carries a real message, and at the same time is good for the box office, and this is what we need to advance the cinema.. We ask him:
* What can you tell us about “the sea before you”?
The movie “The Sea Before You” tells the story of the young woman, Jana, performed by Manal Issa, who suddenly returns to Beirut, after years she spent in France, to find herself reviving the ties of her life from which she originally fled, and which became alien to her after her departure.. Her story is not individual but collective. It touches the young generation in our country and tells the impact of the conflicts and pressures that we live in Lebanon on us, and I chose Jana to talk about alienation in its spatial, temporal and social forms. But she fails and burns the heart of her family and lover, who share the championship with her, who are Yara Abu Haidar, Rabie Al-Zahr, and Roger Azar.
* Does the film tell about the conflicts in order to present them or suggest solutions to them?
– Frankly, the problems that Jana suffers from are a collective case that has no solutions from my point of view.. I listed the Lebanese reality and did not suggest solutions, but I left the answers open to everyone, and I hope that there will be good conclusions.
* Does it tire you to write and direct your films and take care of them from A to Z?
– I am forced to pay attention to my films from start to finish, and there is no doubt that this matter is very tiring, and the reason for this is that we do not have a cinema industry in Lebanon, or rather, makers who care about financing, support and marketing.
* Do you forget the rewards that you won?
– Certainly, prizes are very important to me because they are a passport to work. I am happy with prizes that serve work and pave the way for it to reach all festivals and halls, as it is shown in halls in the Emirates, Lebanon and Paris and reaches all over the world.
* Do you think that it is possible to combine between your business being purposeful and successful at the box office at the same time?
– I think that the feature of my work “The Sea Before You” bears this feature, as it is realistic with distinction, carries a message, and at the same time is suitable for the box office, and this is what we need to promote cinema and turn it into a real industry that attracts capital owners, production and distribution companies and viewers.
Do you like to act or do you prefer to stay behind the camera?
– I get nervous in front of the camera and find myself more behind it.