Home / Arts and Entertainment / TIFF Spotlights Pioneering Lebanese Director Saab
TIFF Spotlights Pioneering Lebanese Director Saab
4 Feb
Summary
- A retrospective of Jocelyne Saab's films is scheduled for next month.
- The program includes a new 4K restoration of her debut fiction feature.
- Saab was a journalist, war reporter, and influential filmmaker.
TIFF Cinematheque is set to present a large-scale retrospective of Lebanese filmmaker Jocelyne Saab's work from March 12-22, coinciding with its International Women's Day program. Iranian filmmaker Bani Khoshnoudi curated the series, titled "More Than A Witness: The Films of Jocelyne Saab." This program includes a newly restored 4K version of Saab's 1985 fiction debut, "The Razor's Edge."
Khoshnoudi emphasized the retrospective's focus on Saab's often overlooked short films and her works from Iran and Egypt, highlighting the filmmaker's commitment to complex subjects. Saab, who passed away in 2019, began her career as a journalist and war reporter in Beirut before directing nearly 30 films during fifteen years covering the Lebanese Civil War. She also founded the Cultural Resistance International Film Festival in Beirut.
The retrospective will offer a chance to revisit Saab's impactful contributions to essay and documentary filmmaking. Khoshnoudi will be present for Q&As during the screenings and will also present her own 2025 film, "The Vanishing Point," on March 14. This event provides a timely exploration of Saab's legacy during a period of renewed conflict in her region.
