Résumé

Cinema in Lebanon recounts a tumultuous history starting in 1897, the year Alexandre Promio creates the first movie ever filmed in Lebanon for the Lumière Brothers, up until 2015. This bilingual work offers an in-depth exploration of the subject supported by a large iconographic selection, eleven exclusive conversations with key figures of the film industry — directors, producers, actors, cinema operators — and an extensive filmography. With this book, Raphaël Millet rewrites the history of cinema in Lebanon in the broader context of film history. Chronologically, the author introduces us to the very beginning of cinema, the Golden Age, the war and post-war periods, highlighting the determination and ingenuity of this industry that knew how to resist, survive, and self-renew. Speaking to a large readership, from the general public to the experts, Cinema in Lebanon offers detailed analyses of movies, an essential contextualisation, and access to exclusive visual archives. It is also a book that gives voice to those who have made — and still make — movies in Lebanon.