Lebanon's Cinematheque Reopens After 25 Years, Minister Vows Cultural Continuity Amid War

A quarter-century after its first opening, the Lebanese Cinematheque was relaunched during a press conference attended by former Information Minister Ziad al-Makari, architectural advisor Jad Tabet, and a host of cultural figures and organizations. Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh, who had originally inaugurated the Cinematheque on April 10, 2002, during his previous tenure as minister, emphasized that responsibility does not vanish regardless of how difficult or volatile circumstances become.

Salameh recalled the humble beginnings: "At that time, we had exactly 15 films. But the Cinematheque developed, enriched, and gathered. In the first year, we received a small donation from Italy—a montage machine—and then more donations followed. Then I left this country." Upon his return, he asked about the Cinematheque and was told it had ended. Staff who had dedicated their careers to it had retired, and its contents were scattered left and right.

The minister deemed this unacceptable, stating that the Lebanese state has a duty to preserve the nation's memory and its cinematic heritage—especially films produced by Lebanese since the 1920s, over a century ago; films shot in Lebanon; and other films related to the country, including recordings of plays by Wadih al-Safi, Fairuz, Sabah, Nasri Shamseddine, and others, as well as experimental films. He noted that by the 1950s, a full-fledged film industry had emerged in Lebanon with numerous directors.

Salameh said the first initiative in this effort was a Lebanese cinema week, screening films from the 1950s and 1960s in eight cities: Tripoli, Amyoun, Baalbek, and Beirut. "It pains me that Nabatieh was one of these cities," he added. "At the same time, the ministry's team, especially Vanessa Helou, was working to recollect the cameras, films, and writings that belonged to the Cinematheque, which had been distributed through legal, semi-legal, or half-legal means to various places across the country."

The minister thanked several contributors to the effort over recent months, including the ministry's team and two film restoration centers—at Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and NDU in Beirut—that had signed legal contracts with the ministry in recent years to restore a number of its films. He also thanked the French government, which donated additional machines and technologies worth over 130,000 euros to facilitate the Cinematheque's reopening.

Salameh stressed that the work would not stop here. They will first try to gather everything the Cinematheque once owned, plus what has been produced in Lebanon in recent years—a massive undertaking. "Space will be made available for anyone who wants to watch an old film for study or research," he said. "We will establish a cinema club with a screening hall as soon as this country manages to get out of the bottleneck it is currently in."

Cultural Work Amid Conflict

Despite the difficult and bloody conditions they face, Salameh insisted that nothing should stop them from continuing, each in their own role. "As you know, some ask: 'What are you concerned with when war is raging in half of Lebanon?' My answer is that your responsibility does not vanish if circumstances are volatile, difficult, and bloody. Our responsibility is to continue our work, each in their position, no matter the conditions."

The minister noted that several major events the ministry had planned for the past two months were postponed, but they will return and hold them—perhaps under more difficult conditions and with less ambitious terms. "We will organize Museum Night as is our custom, a month from now. We will organize Music Night as is our custom. And we will begin restoring whatever we can reach in the coming weeks and months if we achieve a ceasefire."

Salameh also addressed the state of public libraries that have been completely or partially destroyed in areas under Israeli aggression. "You know the ministry is connected to about fifty public libraries across Lebanon. We had received a grant of $600,000 to begin equipping them, but restoration has now become competitive with equipping, because six public libraries have been completely destroyed."

He pointed to the Taybeh library in southern Lebanon, which had finished its restoration just days before the war broke out. He was about to go there for its opening, but it was completely destroyed. He also mentioned the Bint Jbeil library, which was also totally destroyed. That library had been established in 2001 at the Bint Jbeil Secondary School, and after the 2006 war destroyed it for the first time, it moved to a beautiful, historic building in Bint Jbeil known as the Old Serail. Aerial images now show it has been completely destroyed again.

Salameh affirmed this would not stop them. They will equip libraries outside combat zones, as they need re-equipping with computers, tools, modern technology, and books. They will restore the destroyed libraries as soon as they can reach them. He concluded: "As I said and as I repeat: The war weighs heavily on us, but it will not prevent us from exercising our responsibilities."

The minister toured the venue with attendees to view the film archive and cinematic cameras.