Fi al-dar ghariba (Fragments)

Youssef Fahdeh’s groundbreaking achievements – notably his role in creating a film lens known as the Libanoscope, his contributions to underwater cinematography, and his early career in the 1950s as a director of photography at Baalbeck Studios – should have secured him a significant place in Middle Eastern film history. Instead, little is known about him or his legacy. Shot on black-and-white 35mm, Fahdeh’s debut feature, FI AL-DAR GHARIBA, is a timeless testament to his commitment to pushing the boundaries of local cinema. Involving love, mystery, and intrigue and set against the backdrop of a historic shipwreck, the film tells the compelling story of a disfigured fisherman, a mysterious woman, and a criminal, featuring actors Nawal Farid, Nicolas Hallak, and Nemat Sabbagh.  

To honor the legacy of Youssef Fahdeh, a true pioneer who embraced innovation in the early days of Lebanese filmmaking, UMAM Documentation & Research, which is dedicated to collecting Lebanon’s memories and archives, will present fragments of Fahdeh’s film with an improvised live ciné concert, conceived by musician Nour Sokhon.

Nour Sokhon is a Lebanese artist based in Berlin. Her creative practice is centered around exploring different methods of working with artistic research, including interview material, field recordings, and recorded material from an organized site-specific intervention. The research is then translated into sound/music compositions, performances, interactive installations, and moving image work. In 2017, Nour directed the documentary People on Sound as part of her master’s degree in Sound for the Moving Image at the Glasgow School of Art in the UK. Nour has exhibited her artwork and performed in capital cities all around the world.

Ayman Nahle is a visual artist, filmmaker, cinematographer, film editor, and film archivist. Since 2014, Nahle has collaborated on E-Flux New York’s project The Institute of the Cosmos as the cinematographer for films by Anton Vidokle. He has also co-produced and directed many short films. His work has been showcased in cinemas, film festivals, galleries, and museums around the world. Since 2020, he has been actively involved in archival practices, contributing to various workshops and research projects as an audiovisual archivist for the collections of UMAM Documentation & Research (UMAM D&R).