Lebanon has failed to address its long legacy of violence and has repeatedly made calls to “close the files” on any official recognition of past events. What remains clear is that this policy neglects long-standing tensions within Lebanese society and opts instead to forget the events of the past as if they have no bearing on the present and certainly no impact on the future. Through the What Is to Be Done? Lebanon’s War-Loaded Memory series of films, workshops, public events, and exhibits, UMAM D&R sought to revive an otherwise hidden record of the past in order to provide a basis from which to move forward.
In the spirit of this endeavor, UMAM D&R launched the "Confronting Memories" film screenings. Introduced by a festival of three cinematic landmarks following the psychological effects of disappearance, "Confronting Memories" aimed to spark discussion of these issues that remain vital for Lebanon. The series ran until 2010 and featured local and international film screenings.
"Confronting Memories" was made possible made possible thanks to funding from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
Launch: 9 - 11 October 2008Missing by Costa Gavras (1982, 117 min)A Perfect Day by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige (2005, 88 min)Beyrouth Fantôme by Ghassan Salhab (1999, 116 min)26 November 2008Le Liban dans la Tourmente by Jocelyne Saab (1975, 75 min)28 January 2009So It will be Only a Memory by Sahar Assaf (2008, 20 min)From War to Reconciliation by Adyan (2008, 14 min)4 March 2009Ring of Fire by Bahij Hojeij (2004, 90 min)31 March 2009Shatila - Passage to Palestine by Yussuf Ali Naffa & Pepe Danquart (1998, 45 min)28 April 2009Kidnappés by Bahij Hojeij (1998, 52 min) Nos Lieux Interdits by Laila Kilani (2008, 105 min)3 July 2009At Day Break by Natalia Díaz (2008, 94 min)17 November 2009In Place by Monika Borgmann & Lokman Slim (2009, 64 min)28 December 2009Gaza Hospital by Marco Pasquini (2009, 84 min)11 March 2010Migration Alley by Karim al-Hakim (2009, 32 min)2 April 2010Searching for Hassan by Edouard Beau (2009, 63 min)27 April 2010In their Blood by Katia Jarjoura (2009, 31 min)17 May 2010Open Shutters Iraq by Maysoon Pachachi (2009, 102 min)18 September 2010Gaza Hospital by Marco Pasquini (2009, 84 min)5 October 2010An Army of Ants by Wissam Charaf (2007, 23 min) 26 November 2010Chou Sar - What happened? by De Gaulle Eid (2009, 75 min)10 December 201012 Angry Lebanese by Zeina Daccashe (2009, 80 min)