Wissam Charaf
Lebanon, France | 2012 | 62 min
Language : Arabic
Subtitle : English
Through an abundance of TV propaganda images, contemporary media icons and video clips, we embark on a journey into the heart of Lebanese pop culture since the end of the civil war. In a country where instability is a constant, the mass media play a major role in the reconstruction of a nation and its identity – and perhaps also in creating a new illusion.
Through an abundance of TV propaganda images, contemporary media icons and video clips, we embark on a journey into the heart of Lebanese pop culture since the end of the civil war. The 1990s period of revenge and bling often saw Lebanon portrayed as “the disco of the Arab world”. Rafiq Hariri, who symbolised the country’s revival, founded Futura TV, a channel whose name and ambitions embodied a dynamic and cosmopolitan Lebanon picking itself up after the war. Wissam Charaf’s film plunges us into the heart of a whirlwind of images that conquered the screen as well as the Lebanese mindset. The close links between politics and media are alluded to by the presence of the protagonists of this entertainment society: showbiz stars, political leaders, Hezbollah, martyrs.... In a country where instability is a constant, the mass media play a major role in reconstructing the nation and its identity – and perhaps also in creating a new illusion.
Jasmin Basic
Trailer
