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Jocelyne Saab

  • Jocelyne Saab
© DR
Film director, Photographer, Multimedia artist
Principal country concerned : Column : Cinema/tv, Fine arts, Photo

Jocelyne saab is a Franco-Lebanese  director. She started her career hosting a pop music program on the national Lebanese radio called ?Marsupilami has got blue eyes'', and from there moved on to become a news anchor on television. Civil war in Lebanon threw her onto the front line, in the field as a war reporter. "Le Liban Dans La Tourmente"  in 1975 was her first long documentary. From that point forward, she covered war in the Middle east and Iran, as well as the Polisario war in the Maghreb. Her independent films received numerous international prizes.In 1982, covering the Israeli invasion of Lebanon attains her many prizes for her film "Beirut My City". Later going to South east Asia, to post-war Vietnam specifically, she took the portrait of the "Lady of Saigon- Dr Hoa", for which she won the best French documentary prize. In 1981 she landed the job of second unit director on Volker Schlondorff's movie about the Lebanese civil war, "Circle of Deceit". In 1985 her first feature film "Suspended Life" shot in the middle of Beirut and the civil war selected for the 1985 Cannes Film Festival. In 1991 she directed "Once Upon A time in Beirut", dedicated to the anniversary of the century of the cinema and the founding of the Lebanese cinematheque. She commutes between Beirut, Paris and Cairo where she wrote, directed and produced the feature film "DUNIA-Kiss Me Not on the Eyes" selected for the world competition at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2007 Jocelyne Saab  turned to become a photographer. She presented her first collection at the Dubai Art fair, and Art-Paris Abu-Dhabi, after having made a multi-media installation of strange games and bridges at Singapore National Museum. In 2008 she presented a controversial photo exhibition in Beirut titled "Sense Icons and Sensitivity". At present, she is presenting her last feature shot in the city of Beirut "What is going on? ". The film is not only about the beauty of Beirut, It's about the truth of Beirut, which is at times beautiful, and at other times not. It does not try to portray Beirut as a wonderful and glamorous city; one could easily argue that it's not. Instead, it tries to get into the ribs, inside the flesh, and try to portray the city from within. Sometimes it's ferocious." Jocelyne is currently preparing the shooting of a new drama called "RED WINE WHITE WINE" and is also developing a new photo art project. SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY Journalist war reporter filmmaker and artist photographer, she has directed more than 30 documentaries, as well as three feature films shown worldwide by French and European channels, NBC in the United States and NHK in Japan. So far she has shot in Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Syria, Kurdistan, Ex-Spanish Sahara, and Vietnam... She has written all of her films except for "Suspended life" which was written by Gerard Brach, Polanski's scenarist. 1975 - "Lebanon in turmoil" documentary feature 75' released in cinemas. Arab critics prize of the year. 1976 - "Children of war" Catholic Jury Prize at Oberhausen. 1978 - "The sahara is not for sale" documentary feature 75' released in cinemas. 1981 - Assistant director on the film "Circle of Deceit" by Volker Schlondorf and director of second film unit. 1982 - "Beirut, my city" Golden Spike at the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain. First documentary prize at Oberhausen. 1985 - She directs "A suspended life" 30 mm, her first feature film selected at The Director's Fortnight Cannes. International film festival. 1991 - Works with the news team of Le Monde - MK2  and directs for Envoyé Spécial "Fécondation in vidéo", a documentary on in vitro fertilisation. City of Biarritz Award.  Best medical film award by the city of Montpellier. Scientific scoop award at Angers. 1992 - 1994 - Directs "Once upon a time in Beirut" 35 mm a tribute to the memory of the city 1996 - 1997 - Directs in Vietnam "The Lady of Saigon". Awarded best French documentary by  French Parliamant  audiovisual committee. 2003 - "Paris in love ", direction of a 10 short art films series on Paris in collaboration with Francis Lacloche - 2006 -DUNIA - kiss me not on the eyes - 35mm Nominee at SUNDANCE film Festival,awarded more then ten international awards. 2009 -Just frinished shooting in Beirut "What's going on "a new feature film at the occasion of Beirut world capital. 2010- Retrospective at Licoln center  NY with her film "letter fom Beirut -Once upon a time Beirut - and suspended Life " SELECTED EXHIBITION 2006-"Strange games and bridges""A travers les jardins de la guerre "Multi-media installation at Singapour National Museum on the theme of"awareness of war" on 150 square meters 2007 - Double exhibit in Beirut at "Planet discovery of 100 photos on the themes of sense icons and sensitivity " 2007- exhibit Art fair DUBAI with gallery Agial 2008 November -Florence festival "Imagini di donna "Sense icons sensitivity II 2008-November Art fair Abhu Dhabi  with gallery Agial 2009- December Exhibit at national museum of LYBIA in Tripoli "Soft architecture "64 pieces Source: www.jocelynesaab.com/dunia/EN/JocelyneSaab.html Updated: 26/11/2013

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