Poland in Lebanon

The work of the outstanding Polish director and screenwriter Krysztof Kieślowski, was presented and commemorated in Beirut at an event organised by the Polish Embassy in cooperation with the Metropolis Cinema. The retrospective held screenings of Kieślowski’s work from 11^th to 15^th of June at Beirut’s Metropolis Art Cinema. Kieślowski, who has permanently entered the history of world cinematography, is one of the most famous Polish filmmakers in Lebanon.

A comprehensive retrospective programme which included  the most acclaimed of Kieślowski's works - the "Three Colours" trilogy, "The Double Life of Veronique" and "A Short Film About Love" and "A Short Film About Killing", which are part of the "Decalogue" series – gave Lebanese cinemagoers the opportunity to acquaint (or re-acquaint) themselves with these iconic films.

The opening night, during which the film "Three Colours: Blue" was shown, hosted representatives of the diplomatic corps, local cultural institutions and the film community, artists and lovers of artistic cinema. The retrospective was opened by a speech by Hania Mroue, founder and director of the Metropolis association and the Ambassador of Poland to Lebanon, H.E. Aleksandra Bukowska-McCabe. The screening of the film was preceded by an introduction given by Elie Noir Barakat, film director and lecturer in film studies at USEK University, emphasizing the broad considerations on emotions in Kieślowski's work.

All screenings of Kieślowski's films as part of the retrospective were very popular with the audience. Each of the evenings was an excellent opportunity to talk about the Kieślowski's work, as well as, more broadly, to reflect on the topics raised in the films. Kieślowski's films were presented in new, digitally reconstructed copies with English subtitles.