In conjunction with World Day for International Justice, the festival will commence on the evening of July 17, featuring the documentary “Project Cartel” (2021), directed by Jules Giraudat. The film delves into the issue of targeted killings of investigative journalists in Mexico, where approximately 200 journalists have fallen victim to assassinations over the past two decades. “Project Cartel” is part of the Forbidden Stories project, helmed by a renowned French production company sharing the same name. Through the lens of journalists from various corners of the globe, this documentary unravels the perplexing circumstances surrounding the murder of their Mexican colleague, Regina Martinez, while striving to uncover the truth behind her untimely demise. The screening will be followed by an extensive discussion involving journalists and filmmakers to explore the issue of journalist killings and the role of media and cinema in addressing this phenomenon.

On 18 July, the Mizan Film Festival will showcase two thought-provoking films that shed light on the often-overlooked issue of political assassinations of women in Lebanon and the MENA region. The evening will commence with the screening of “Lettre à ma soeur” (2006), directed by Algerian filmmaker Habiba Djahnine. The film follows the journey of her sister, Nabila Djahnine, a leftist and feminist activist.

“Lettre à ma soeur” will be followed by the premiere screening, in Lebanon, of the film “Malte, au nom de Daphné” (2021) by Jules Giraudat, offering an exploration of the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, whose life was tragically cut short by a car bomb explosion in 2017. Daphne’s murder left a profound impact on public opinion, as she had exposed high-level corruption cases prior to her assassination, implicating senior officials. The documentary follows her children, in collaboration with a network of investigative journalists, as they pursue the truth behind her assassination. Following the two screenings, an engaging discussion will be held to explore the targeting of women and the various approaches to addressing this issue in depth.

On 19 July, two films will be featured. The first will be “On a Day of Ordinary Violence, My Friend Michel Seurat…” (original title in Arabic, 1996) by the late Syrian director Omar Amiralay. This film, produced a decade after the French researcher’s tragic killing, stands as a historical and cinematic testament, showcasing the director’s remarkable ability to create a narrative that infuses its unique aesthetics into a profoundly cruel subject. Following the screening, a dialogue will ensue, focusing on Amiralay’s cinematic contributions and expanding to encompass the turbulent 1980s in Lebanon, including the political assassinations that occurred during that period.

The festival will conclude with “Z” (1969), a remarkable masterpiece directed by Costa-Gavras, a French filmmaker of Greek descent. Honored with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, this work presents a dramatic reconstruction of the events surrounding the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis by the far-right in 1963, leaving an indelible imprint in the genre of political crime films.

The Film Festival is supported with German Federal Foreign Office’s funds by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), zivik Funding programme.

Monday, July 17, 2023
19:30 – 20:00 | Open Ceremony

20:00 – 21:10 | Movie
Project Cartel, documentary, directed by Jules Giraudat
70 min | En & Fr with Arabic subtitles

21:10 – 22:00 | Discussion
Targeted for Truth: The Role of Documentaries in Countering the Assassinations of Journalists
Moderator: Jad Shahrour, journalist, communication officer and spokesperson at Skeyes
Discussants: Diana Mokallad, journalist, film director and co-founder of Daraj & Haytham Shamas, academic and director of Karama-Beirut Human Rights Film Festival

Tuesday, July, 18, 2023
18:00 – 19:10 | Movie
Lettre à ma soeur, documentary, directed by Habiba Dhjanine
67 min | En & Fr with Arabic subtitles

19:10 – 20:00 | Discussion
Political Femicides: A Specific Reality?
Moderator: Dr. Mona Fayad, academic and researcher in psychology
Discussants: Nabila Ghousein, journalist and researcher, works at The Legal Agenda & Hala Abdallah, film director

20:00 – 20:52 | Movie
Malte, Au Nom de Daphné, documentary, directed by Jules Giraudat
52 min | En & Fr with Arabic subtitles

20:52 – 21h15 | Open discussion

Wednesday, July 19, 2023
18:00 – 18:50 | Movie
On a Day of Ordinary Violence, my Friend Michel Seurat, documentary, directed by Omar Amiralay
50 min, Fr with Arabic Subtitles

18:50 – 19h45 | Discussion
Violence and Absence as Represented in Omar Amiralay’s Cinematography

Moderator: Hala Abdallah, film director
Discussants: Mohamad Soueid, producer, film critic and head of the documentary department at Al Arabiya News & Abbas Hadla, senior researcher and head of the documentation department at UMAM

20:00 – 22:07 | Movie
Z, thriller, directed by Costa-Gavras
127 min | En & Fr with Arabic subtitles

22:07 – 22:30 | Open discussion and closing ceremony