Sursock Museum, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u0645\u0633\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u062e\u064a\u0631\u060c \u0648\u0623\u0647\u0644\u0627 \u0648\u0633\u0647\u0644\u0627 \u0628\u0645\u0647\u0631\u062c\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u064a\u0646\u0645\u0627 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0648\u0631\u0648\u0628\u064a\u0629 \u0628\u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646!
I am delighted to be standing here today, to open my first European Film Festival as
EU Ambassador to Lebanon. This may be a first for me, but it is most definitely not a
first for the festival: tonight we are opening the 28 th edition of a festival that over the
years has become a landmark in Lebanon\u2019s cultural agenda.
The first European Film Festival in Lebanon took place thirty years ago, in 1993\u2026
Three decades of European Film Festivals\u2026 That is quite something\u2026. It is very
telling of the strong cultural ties between us.
I visited Lebanon for the first time some ten years ago, and like many Europeans,
quickly felt a connection to your country. Maybe it is because of the mix of languages
that we hear on the streets. Maybe it\u2019s the cultural diversity that reminds us of
Europe. Maybe it\u2019s the variety of Lebanon\u2019s landscapes, or the familiar scents and
flavours that we come across in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. But
without any doubt, it is also – maybe even most importantly – the fact that in Lebanon,
you feel free. Free to speak your mind, free to simply be yourself.
And that is what the European Film Festival is all about. Over the years, the Festival
grew into a platform to promote creativity and defend freedom of expression. It has
become a welcoming space for us to come together and exchange on issues that
matter to both Lebanese and Europeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ceci est refl\u00e9t\u00e9 chaque ann\u00e9e dans la s\u00e9lection vari\u00e9e de films propos\u00e9s par nos
Etats Membres. Le programme de cette \u00e9dition comprend 27 long-m\u00e9trages r\u00e9cents
des diff\u00e9rents pays de l\u2019Union europ\u00e9enne, y-inclus le film qui a remport\u00e9 le plus
grand nombre de C\u00e9sars en 2023.
Il y en a pour tous les go\u00fbts: des classiques restaur\u00e9s pour les nostalgiques parmi
nous, des dessins anim\u00e9s pour les enfants (ou pour tous les jeunes d\u2019esprit), un cin\u00e9-
concert pour les amateurs de musique, et bien plus encore.
Like Europe, Lebanon has a rich and diverse cultural heritage that takes many forms
\u2013 and cinema is only one of them. In recent years, despite the challenges brought by
the crisis, many Lebanese movies have made it to international festivals. And this is
something to be proud of. To honour Lebanese cinema, the European Film Festival
will close on October 4 th , with the premiere of Riverbed, by Lebanese director
Bassem Breish. We will also continue the tradition of screening short films produced
by young, emerging Lebanese filmmakers and we will be awarding prizes to the best
among them.
I would like to thank all our partners for their contribution to this 28 th edition:
Metropolis Association for putting together a rich and diverse programme in Beirut,
Hermel, Saida, Tripoli, Jounieh, Byblos and Zahl\u00e9; our Member States for their
invaluable contribution through films, awards and workshops; and the Sursock
Museum for hosting us in such a magical setting tonight.
Le festival n\u2019aurait pas connu un tel succ\u00e8s \u2013 et une telle expansion – au cours des
ann\u00e9es sans le soutien des milliers d\u2019amateurs de cin\u00e9ma qui ont assist\u00e9 aux
s\u00e9ances depuis 1993. Merci \u00e0 vous, de nous avoir accompagn\u00e9 dans cette aventure.
Without further ado, I leave the floor to my colleague, Ambassador Jes\u00fas Santos
Aguado, who will tell us more about Ramona, the film presented by Spain that will be
opening the 28 th edition of the European Film Festival.
I hope you will enjoy the festival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sursock Museum, \u0645\u0633\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0644\u062e\u064a\u0631\u060c \u0648\u0623\u0647\u0644\u0627 \u0648\u0633\u0647\u0644\u0627 \u0628\u0645\u0647\u0631\u062c\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u064a\u0646\u0645\u0627 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u0648\u0631\u0648\u0628\u064a\u0629 \u0628\u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646!I am delighted to be standing here today, to open my first European Film Festival asEU Ambassador to Lebanon. This may be a first for me, but it is most definitely not afirst for the festival: tonight we are opening the 28 th edition of a festival that over theyears has become a landmark in Lebanon\u2019s cultural agenda.The first European Film Festival in Lebanon took place thirty years ago, in 1993\u2026Three […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-embassies"],"yoast_head":"\n