ABU DHABI // Beirut once prided itself as being the "Paris of the Middle East". But Samir Habchi's Beirut: Open City, which had its Middle Eastern premiere last night, shows the city's dark side in a bleak period of its history.
Starring Khaled el Nabawi, the film is set in the Lebanese capital after the country's civil war.
It is a voyage through the city's underworld, teeming with shadowy intelligence agents, torture chambers and prostitutes.
From the Taif Agreement of 1989, to the assassination of the former prime minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005 and the withdrawal of Syrian military forces, the film confronts the brutal realities of oppression and abuses of power, issues which the director hopes will provoke reflection across the region.
Mr Habchi said the years of oppression suffered in Lebanon was something very close to his heart. Every movie he makes comes from personal experiences, and the inspiration for his latest feature came from losing many family members during the war.
"I hope that Arabs and non-Arabs alike can see from this film what oppression we have suffered. I long for a truly free Lebanon."
Even though Lebanon is still politically divided, he feels Beirut lives up to its comparison to the French capital and has tried to show and discuss this in the film.
It is, he said, the most diverse country in the region, culturally, religiously and politically.
Set in the 1990s, at the height of the Syrian occupation, his film follows an Egyptian actor and photojournalist (Nabawi), as he travels to Lebanon to film the brutal interrogation methods used against dissidents by the intelligence services in the country.
"I hope that everyone who sees the film will consider the issues of power and oppression as concepts to apply all over the world and this region," said Mr Habchi.
He admitted he feared "the people in power" might not like his critical portrayal of the country's leaders.
Although he prefers not to align himself with any political party, his film is overtly political.
"Politicians come and go," he said, "but with film, it doesn't matter who is in power, the issues remain the same and we need to keep fighting the oppression."
* Tomorrow will see the screening of Fawzia: A Special Blend, from the Egyptian director Magdi Ahmed Ali at the Emirates Palace hotel at 6pm.
Following at 9.30pm is Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love, by the director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, which documents the challenges faced by the Senegalese musician following the release of his 2004 album, Egypt.
mswan@thenational.ae
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
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Results
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
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RESULT
Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')
Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)
LEADERBOARD
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Marital status: Single
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
