A few weeks ago, the talented Oscar-nominated director, gold-hearted giant soul, my friend Nadine Labaki called me up and offered me to co-write with her the text for a short film she wanted to do about August 4th. I only co-authored the words.
We sat together. Two heartbroken women gushing out thoughts and emotions in the name of justice for our city, in the name of our wounded people. We re-watched clips from the explosion, we talked about our wounded friends and family members, about the miraculous ones who literally escaped death, about the many unfortunate lives who were so unjustly claimed. We put ourselves in the shoes of foreigners, and we asked, over and over again: with all the hardships going on in the world, what would make outsiders care about this horror? Can they care for more than a second? How do we appeal to the heart without dragging anyone’s guilt? How do we un-miserify misery? … After all, if this had happened in Hanoi, or if this had happened in Buenos Aires, or if this had happened in Moscow, or if this had happened in Nouakchott, would the Lebanese people care? My answer is,
I hope so. I really, really hope so, because if this had happened anywhere in the world and the Lebanese people did not care, then we either do not understand this explosion, or we are dead on the inside.
This is not a political battle. This is a moral and ethical battle. And morality and ethics concern every sentient human being on this god forsaken earth.
To have these words be uttered by actress and Goodwill ambassador Cate Blanchett (only Nadine has the pull & power to make something like this happen) should be a humbling wake up call for all, for this is not a film to remind the Lebanese about their horrors, this is a plea for justice for all humankind.
Accompanied by the music of the outstanding @KhaledMouzanar, another magical design of the talented universe, superposed with the heart-wrenching imagery captured by the survivors, assisted by the editing of @ElieFahed, and directed & produced by no other than Nadine Labaki, I leave you with this plea for justice. Please watch the video below. #KeepTalkingAboutBeirut
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