In late 2023, during the war on Gaza, 18 Lebanese filmmakers came together to express their feelings through letters they exchanged and turned into short films. The work on these films was completed in late May 2024, without them realizing that the full-scale aggression was heading their way, making Lebanon the next target for destruction.

 

في أواخر عام ٢٠٢٣، خلال الحرب على غزّة، اجتمع ١٨ مخرجًا لبنانيًا للتعبير عن مشاعرهم عبر رسائل تبادلوها وحولوها إلى أفلام قصيرة. اكتمل العمل على هذه الأفلام في أواخر أيار ٢٠٢٤، من دون إدراكهم أن العدوان الشامل كان يتجه نحوهم، ليصبح لبنان الهدف التالي للدمار.

 

“Letters” – Full Credits List

 

The Film Monk

Djinn House

Present

 

Film #1

Letter from: Corine Shawi

Film by: Myra Zbib

Sound Design: Myra Zbib

Voice Over: Myra Zbib

 

Film #2

Letter from: Zeina Daccache

Film by: Salim Mrad

Featuring: Ribal Merhi, Salim Mrad, Siham Mrad and Angela-Baby

Special Thanks: C.G. Jung, F.W.J. Schelling and Jad Hatem

 

Film #3

Letter from: Myriam El Hajj

Film by: Reine Chahine

Sound Design: Reine Chahine

Voice Over: Myra Zbib

 

Film #4

Letter from: Josef Khallouf

Film by: Mike Malajalian

Sound Design: Mike Malajalian

Voice Over: Josef Khallouf

 

Film #5

Letter from: Salim Mrad

Film by: Michèle Tyan

Sound Design and Mix: Raed Younan

Voice Over: Michèle Tyan

Subtitles: Habib Habib, Maëlle Helou

Excerpt of: Demolition of a wall, Louis Lumière 1896

Special Thanks: Sabine Sidawi, Sandra Fatté, Ghassan Salhab, Mahmoud Koreik

Music: Souffle Un Vent De Sable Composed by Anouar Brahem, Galliano, Danielsson & Christensen – Khomsa

A Sundering Path Composed by Richard Skelton – A Broken Consort – Box Of Birch

 

Film #6

Letter from: Elie Khalife

Counter Letter from: Nadim Tabet

Film by: Nadim Tabet

Voice Over: Nadim Tabet

Music: Glenn Gould “Bach prelude in C minor, BWV999”

 

Film #7

Letter from: Mike Malajalian

Film by: Zeina Daccache

Edited by: Myriam Geagea

Voice Over: Zeina Daccache

Music: Rajieen

Performed by: A.L.A; A5rass; Afroto; Alyoung; Amir Eid; Balti; Bataineh; Dafencii; Dana Salah; Dina El Wedidi; Donia Wael; Fuad Gritli; Ghaliaa; Issam Alnajjar; Marwan Moussa; Marwan Pablo; NORDO; Omar Rammal; Rajieen; Randar; Saif Safadi; Shroof; Smallx; Vortex; Wessam Qutob; zeyne

Written by: A.L.A; Afroto; Alyoung; Amir Eid; Balti; Dafencii; Bataineh; Dafencii; Dina Wideidi; Marwan Moussa; Marwan Pablo; Nasir AlBashir; NORDO; Randar; Saif Bataineh; Saif Shroof; Smallx; Vortex; Wessam Qutob

Produced by: Nasir AlBashir; Marwan Moussa; Amr No One AlShomali

Source: Rajieen

©2023

Photo Credits:

AFP/Thibault Camus/Khalil Al Dheini/Yahya Hassouna

Aljazeeranet

Anadolu Agency/ Mustafa Hassona

Associated Press/Yousef Masoud/ Hatem Ali /Hussein Malla

Nurphoto/Fadel Itani

Reuters/Jamal Saidi/Mohamed Azakir/Hannah McKay

Sopa images/ Mahmoud Issa

Mahmud Hams

Naaman Omar

Maher Attar

Yarob Marouf

Catherine Leroy

 

Film #8

Letter from: Nadim Tabet

Film by: Hassan Zbib

Editing: Sylvie Pontoizeau

Sound Design: Hassan Zbib

Voice Over: Myra Zbib, Louis Duneton

Music: The Song of the Earth by Gustave Mahler

Excerpt from the film “Sans Soleil” by Chris Marker

 

Film #9

Letter from: Damoun Ghawi

Film by: Corine Shawi

Sound Mixing: Lama Sawaya

Music: La fin et le commencement

Performed by: Flore Laurentienne

Written & Produced by: Mathieu David Gagnon

Produced by: Sylvain Deschamps

 

Film #10

Letter from: Dwan Kaoukji

Film by: Josef Khallouf

Sound Design: Josef Khallouf

Music: Pim van Harten

Voice Over: Josef Khallouf

 

Film #11

Letter from: Myra Zbib

Film by: Elie Khalife

Voice Over: Myra Zbib

 

Film #12

Letter from: Rania Rafei

Film by: Dwan Kaoukji

Voice Over: Rania Rafei

 

Film #13

Letter from: Hassan Zbib

Film by: Christy Whaibe

Performer: Iris Brocchini

Sound Design: Christy Whaibe

Music: Waltz in B minor, Op 69 no.2 by Olga Gourevitch

Voice Over: Hassan Zbib

Thanks to: Xavier and Mathis Germain, Sandra Abrass, Fadi El Samra, Carel Whaibe, Christelle Younes

 

Film #14

Letter from: Marie-Rose Osta

Film by: Rania Rafei

Sound Design: Rania Rafei

Voice Over: Marie-Rose Osta

 

Film #15

Letter from: Michèle Tyan

Film by: Damoun Ghawi

Voice Over: Michèle Tyan

 

Film #16

Letter from: Christy Whaibe

Film by: Alexandra Kahwagi

Sound Design: Alexandra Kahwagi

Voice Over: Alexandra Kahwagi

 

Film #17

Letter from: Reine Chahine

Film by: Marie-Rose Osta

Sound Design: Marie-Rose Osta

Music: Subchamber Ensemble

Voice Over: Reine Chahine, Marie-Rose Osta

 

Created and Produced by: Josef Khallouf

Final Assembly by: Michèle Tyan, Josef Khallouf

English & Arabic Translations: Rita Abi Karam

Sound Mastering: Samer Beyhum

DCP: Mounir Al Mahmoud (The PostOffice)

Graphics: Mike Malajalian

Thanks to: Osama Kahlout, Michèle Tyan, Hady Zaccak, Emile Aouad, Raed Younan, Simon El Habre, Sandra Fatté, Vesna Chamoun

 

Supported by: Al-MU7AFFIZ – Cultural Grant of the Goethe-Institut Libanon

 

Each film copyright is owned individually and respectively by the film directors: Myra Zbib, Salim Mrad, Reine Chahine, Myriam El Hajj, Mike Malajalian, Michele Tyan, Nadim Tabet, Zeina Daccache, Hassan Zbib, Corine Shawi, Josef Khallouf, Elie Khalife, Dwan Kaoukji, Christy Whaibe, Rania Rafei, Damoun Ghawi, Alexandra Kahwagi, Marie-Rose Osta

 

“Letters” copyright is owned by: Josef Khallouf