Mairouba: Minister of Culture Ghassan Salam© affirmed that "Lebanese cinema needs to move from individual initiatives to a sustainable industry," revealing that "cultural industries provide livelihoods for half a million Lebanese and account for 6% of the economy."
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Salam© made the remarks while patronizing and inaugurating the first edition of the Mairouba Film Festival, which opened yesterday in the presence of the Qaimaqam of Keserwan, Ms. Strida Nabhan; the Mayor of Mairouba, Elie Saad©; the Vice President of the Keserwan-Ftouh Municipalities Union, Pierre Dakkar; as well as a large gathering of local dignitaries, intellectuals, directors, actors, and cinema enthusiasts.
The Minister began his speech by expressing his happiness, emphasizing the importance of culture reaching the people. He praised the Municipality of Mairouba for organizing the festival, expressing his hope for it to become an "annual tradition," akin to the Cannes Film Festival in France. He highlighted that Lebanese cinema is not at the desired level and stressed the duties towards cultural industries for Lebanon's benefit.
He underscored the importance of cultural industries, noting that they represent around 6% of Lebanon's economy, surpassing agriculture, and provide livelihoods for 110,000 families. Salam© emphasized the positive attributes of cultural industries: they do not require raw materials, do not cause pollution, and rely on exceptional human capital. He pointed out that Lebanese universities graduate between 600 and 800 individuals annually in this field, highlighting the need for investment and market expansion.
Salam© reviewed the Ministry's initiatives to strengthen Lebanese cinema despite limited financial resources. These include the reopening of the National Cinematheque, recovery of Lebanon's first film produced in 1927, organization of an annual film week, co-production agreements, and an upcoming agreement with UNESCO to establish a Lebanese Film Centre.
He announced that 2027 will be a pivotal year for Lebanese cinema, marking significant anniversaries of landmark Lebanese films. Salam© concluded by reaffirming efforts to transform individual initiatives into a sustainable industry, expressing hope for stability and investment in cultural industries to achieve their ambitions.
The festival's opening included a reception and tribute to the stars of the film A Mafraq Tariq, directed by Lara Saba, which has achieved international recognition. The Minister was also honored by the organizing committee before the screening of the film.
The festival will run for three days, featuring prominent Lebanese films, including Bosta and Ghadi, as part of an initiative to revive Mairouba's tourist amphitheatre and enhance the presence of Lebanese cinema on the cultural scene.