The European Union Delegation in Lebanon represented by HE Ambassador Christina Lassen, brought it’s significative support to the Islamo-Christian National Celebration Day (Fête de l’Annonciation, 25th of March) initiated several years ago by Nagy El Khoury, the General Secretary of the Alumni Association of Collège Notre-Dame de Jamhour.

The EU Delegation in Lebanon supported the Audiovisual Initiative of the Alumni Association of Jamhour through a significant financial grant, to help produce a 10-min short film to be screened next fall (school year 2016- 2017) across Lebanese schools, accompanied by the organization of round-tables discussing the vocation of Lebanon as a Message for the World.

A team of Alumni volunteers from Jamhour was formed under the coordination of the dynamic Nagy El Khoury reuniting: Assi Rahbani (Director), Marc Karam (DOP), Souleima Ghorayeb (Script), Fadia Kari, Tarek Sikias, Philippe Aractingi & Emile E. Issa founder of KAMSYN PR.

Three long & beautiful days of shoot on set are accounted here through the short notes of Nagy El Khoury and the spontaneous backstage photos shared in his “Making-Of album” on Facebook; a platform where he’s very active and followed by a important number of readers worldwide:

       

“Monday 11th of July : several interviews of citizens mastering different crafts in Ashrafieh, Dora and Aucar then visit to Harissa to the “Paulistes” and Our Lady of Lebanon where non-Christian ladies shared beautiful testimonies about Mary.

Tuesday 12th of July : A Day in Jamhour, rich with captivating interviews in the School church with: Najwa Nassereddine, Sayed Jaafar Fadlallah, Father Fadi Daou, Sheikh Mohammed Nokkari. I also was happy to share on camera my story about this beautiful journey. Then we visited the Sports Stadium with Raphael Samaha, after which we returned to the Charles Helou Library to record the song written for the film by Habib Younis, composed by Haytham Azzi and sung by Anthony Feghali, in company of the calligrapher Roger Asmar.

Wednesday 13th of July:  A Day in Downtown Beirut, at the Al-Amin Mosque and the Maronite Cathedral of Saint-George filming various sequences in the heart of Beirut; the celebrated land of returned togetherness.

Post-production:

Tarek Sikias will now handle the Editing in his studios under the supervision of our great artist Assi Rahbani. Needless to mention the stunning images of the DOP Marc Karam, who took over the camera for the occasion and who formed with Assi (Director) a magnificent duo.
It was a pleasure to work with such a competent and efficient team, convinced by the beauty of the message. I’m sure that in September we will have an exceptional film that will effectively convey our message.

I want to thank, from the heart, all the teams who gave their best as well as the Lebanese Army who granted us permission to film anywhere, even with a drone that flew of the School and Sports Centre, thank you for facilitating our work. Special thanks to the very effective Elie Haddad who played the role of “Production Director.” Nagy el-Khoury
Facebook, Wednesday, July 13, 2016″.

July 2016