This is Lebanon (2023)

Robert Rabiah: Narrator

Photos 

Quotes 

• Narrator : What I really wanted to achieve was to draw attention away from the presence of the camera and so I adopted a little bit of a cinema verité style of documentary filmmaking for these particular segments. I am very pleased with the result, especially the fly-on-the-wall elements.

• Narrator : I was absolutely taken aback by Byblos or Jbeil and felt quite overwhelmed on several occasions during my time there. It is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, including the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Persians, Romans and Ottomans. The city is a UNESCO world heritage site, and like many other parts of Lebanon, deserves to be seen and appreciated by overseas travelers in a safe and stable atmosphere.

• Narrator : The COVID-19 pandemic put an end to any change that had been brewing. Tensions reached an all-time high following the Beirut Port Explosion in 2020, which left 300,000 citizens homeless and over 200 dead. This culmination of widespread corruption, the pandemic and the Beirut Port Explosion, have led to the worst financial crises in the country's history and an estimated 80% poverty rate. So many children are starving. It's truly shameful.

• Narrator : I was very aware of the fact that we didn't have the backing of a big production company and the substantial budget that they bring to the table or an industry government body and the financial investment that they also provide. This was a passion project that was made with a one-person crew and a very small budget. Going with the grain and embracing that methodology and the way it was presented was the best option for the narrative.

• Narrator : It always takes courage to stand up to tyranny, especially when your personal safety is on the line. I believe Khalil Gibran

  [the famous Lebanese poet] 

  Narrator : said 'For how can a tyrant rule the free and the proud, but for a tyranny in their own freedom and a shame in their own pride.