San Francisco, USA - Jack Janssen's documentary about Lebanon and
the civil war, We Loved Each Other So Much, featuring Fairuz's music
was screened at the 47th San Francisco International Film Festival.
Though a recent 15-year civil war has left the people of Beirut
struggling to find common ground, this breathtaking film documents
the binding importance of beloved singer Fairuz to people all over
the Arab world.
Fairuz is considered far and away the greatest music star alive
and the most popular cultural phenomenon in the Arab world. For
half a century now, Fairuz has been a living legend in the Arab
world. Her home is Beirut, once a thriving seaport, "The Paris
of the Middle East", and a haven for those fleeing religious
or ethnic persecution. Famously, Fairuz chose to remain in Beirut
in spite of the bloodshed and wholesale destruction, and she became
a symbol of unity within a fractured city. A highlight of the documentary
is Fairuz’s legendary encore performance at the Beiteddine
festival in 2000 where she sang “Sabah ou Massa” (Morning
and Night) live for the first time.
This film is competing for a Golden Gate Award in its international
premiere (in Arabic with English subtitles). The film will also
be screened at the Canadian International Documentary Festival which
is scheduled to run from April 23 through May 2, 2004. The documentary
will be screened as part of the festival’s National Spotlight
on April 30 at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto.