We hielden zoveel van mekaar
Netherlands,
2003, 75 min
Shown in 2004
CREDITS
- dir
-
Jack Janssen
- prod
-
Pieter van Huystee
- scr
-
Jack Janssen
- cam
-
Martijn van Beenen
- editor
-
Menno Boerema
- source
-
Pieter van Huystee Film, Noordermarkt 37-39, 1015 NA Amsterdam, Netherlands. FAX: 31-20-638-6255. EMAIL: matthijs@pvhfilm.nl.
- premiere
-
International Premiere
-
COMMENTS
Jack Janssen in person.
OTHER
Beirut, once considered the “Paris of the Middle East,” is now picking up the pieces from a devastating 15-year civil war. What used to be a thriving port city where a variety of religions and ethnicities could convene in peace has become a land torn apart by factions. Dutch director Jack Janssen’s rich tapestry weaves together several Beirut denizens who have survived their country’s recent troubled past. Though they are all different in their confusion, anger and loss, one powerful common thread ties them together: the enchanting, mystical voice of Fairuz. The most famous singer, and arguably the most popular cultural icon, of the Arab world, Fairuz is looked upon as a symbol of unity, hope and beauty. Her songs greet Beirut first thing in the morning on the radio, her voice wafting through prison bars, restaurants, car windows on busy streets and in the dorm rooms of young college students. Stunning images of modern Beirut provide the backdrop for her simultaneously mournful and spirited melodies. In this unforgettable documentary, we come to understand that people once torn apart by differences can be held together by a single, undivided passion.
—Tessa Swigart
FACTOID #202
At the 1978 SFIFF, Paul Mazursky received a tribute at the Palace of Fine Arts. Apparently, the facility’s janitorial staff had not been notified, and the padlocked doors of the Palace had to be cut so the filmmaker and his audience could be let in.
