Cultivating an Arthouse Viewership: Lebanese Animation Audiences Grow Up
Lina Gaibeh and George Khoury Jad
Lebanon
is no stranger to cultural experimentation, having, throughout its modern
history, been exposed to western political, social, and cultural influences.
From automobiles to printing presses, theatres to coffee houses, Beirutis have
seen them all, absorbed them all, and adapted them all to the realities of
their eclectic culture. So it is no wonder that they saw their first motion
picture in the Fleur de la Syrie theatre in 1899, just a few years after
the medium came into being. Nor is it any wonder that what became known as Le
petit-Paris[1]
under the French Mandate in the twenties continued to promote its image as “The
Switzerland of the East”[2] for decades thereafter.
Since, as one observer puts it, “until the mid-'70s,
the Lebanese were universally known to represent the avant-garde in the Arab
World”[3], it comes as no surprise
that from the earliest days of independence, members of the Lebanese—mainly
Beiruti—public were exposed to all types of foreign motion pictures, including
cartoons. Some films even appeared on Lebanese screens simultaneous with their
opening dates in European capitals, as a local newspaper advertisement for the
premiere of Walt Disney's Cinderella tells us: the film opened at the Capitole
theatre in Beirut, Christmas 1950—the same day as in the “major cities of
Europe”.[4]
If the city audience—limited at the time—was familiar
with feature-length cartoons, that experience was not shared at a national
level, since movie theatres of early days existed exclusively in the capital.
The wider public had to wait for the introduction of Lebanon’s first television
station (CLT, channels 7 and 9) in 1959 to enjoy cartoons.[5] Remarkably, the very first
broadcast included a 15-minute foreign cartoon segment following the news slot,
which was the opening sequence, and this pattern continued for years.[6] Although one cannot but
speculate about the number of viewers at the time (there being no statistics on
the number of TV sets per household) it was considered quite normal to
encounter gatherings in front of TV shops' windows, with crowds watching the
black and white screens.[7]
The short cartoons broadcasted on the local TV
channels were included as part of the contracts with major Anglo-American
companies such as ITC, NBC, SCREEN GEMS, CBS, and others.[8] Because Channel 7
broadcast in Arabic and subtitles and dubbing were not available for cartoons
at this point, multilingual viewers managed to enjoy them, sometimes relying on
children for help with translation, not to mention that cartoons at the times
were mostly self-explanatory.
On the 2nd of May 1962, another TV station, Télé-Orient
(Channels 5 & 11), entered the arena. Unlike its predecessor, the
partnership was sole with the American giant ABC.[9] Equipped with advanced
technical gear, a sophisticated organizational structure provided by ABC, and a
wide range of contracts with regional emerging state-run TV channels,[10] Télé-Orient followed
a pan-Arab strategy. The Lebanese dialect was replaced by classical Arabic in
all local productions, and Arabic subtitling was introduced to foreign shows.
With the introduction of color television in October 1967, cartoons for
children were established as the main component of the broadcast schedule of all
four of Lebanon’s commercial channels. While color TV sets were rare, it is
estimated that the number of black and white TV sets had reached 250,000 in
1967.[11] The most popular cartoons
at this time were Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Tom & Jerry, The
Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, and other Looney Toons characters.
In the early 1970s, Beirut began to shift its role
from importer to importer/exporter of cartoons in the Middle Eastern media
scene. It retained this role throughout the civil war, during which the two
existing TV stations were forced to merge into one station, half-owned by the
government, with 4 channels under the name of Télé-Liban.[12] With a continuing
pan-Arab approach and the heavy demand of Arab-world markets for cartoons
series, Lebanese importers turned to Japanese producers, who were known for their high
productivity, high variety, and low costs compared to the American or European
ones.[13] There were, however,
still no Lebanese producers of cartoons.
Mainly aimed at an audience of toddlers and
school-aged children, the first theme was mainly chosen in accordance with Arabic culture
or heritage as in the Adventures of Sindbad from 1001 nights.
Because of children’s limited reading skills, subtitling was soon
replaced with dubbing. Two specialized Lebanese dubbing Studios dominated the
market, gathering renowned actors from local TV series to produce the
voice-overs[14].
Opening sequences were remixed with Arabic lyrics by singers, some of whose
careers were launched in this way because of the wider audience for the
cartoons in Arabic. Names of main characters were also changed to fit the
regional audience, while twists in stories and free translation were common
practices. Still famous for their influence on the generation of the 1970s are
series such as Moghamarat Sindibad
(Adventures of Sindbad, 1978), Grendizer (UFO Robot Grendizer Raids,
1979), Zeina wa Nahhoul (Maya the Honey Bee, 1978), Jungar
(Astroganger, 1979), Jazeerat Al-Kanz (Treasure Island), Adnan wa
Lina (Conan, the Future Boy, 1979), among others.
Two main factors distinguished the era between the
late 1970s and the end of the civil war[15] in the early 1990s. First,
television became the major (if not the exclusive) medium for the spread of
cartoons to thousands of young viewers, since most cinemas had closed (in
Greater Beirut a couple of theatres were irregularly operational for audiences
made up mainly of members of militias, and cartoons weren’t their favorite
shows). Furthermore, cartoons on VHS videotapes were restricted to affluent and
influential members of the citizenry. Second, cartoons became independent shows
on the weekly TV schedules, occupying prime time slots even on some of the
illegal TV stations that flourished after 1985, which were led by LBC
(Lebanese Broadcast Company). As a result cartoon series became part of the
collective memory of the civil war.[16]
Future Television: Local production a turning point
Since
their emergence in Lebanon, cartoons were marked by two major limitations: They
provided either education or simple entertainment but did not have much range
beyond that, or they were directed at a strictly juvenile audience. A new
player, however, changed this perception from its first national broadcasts,
continuing as it developed into a pan-Arab satellite TV station, Future
Television.[17]
Aware of the influence of the genre, and as part of its strategy to target
youth, the station started airing a weekly prime-time cartoon after the
Saturday evening news (to become daily after the news), its social-political
content targeting an adult viewership. To secure long-term production capacities,
the station, which was broadcasting 24 hours a day, created an in-house
animation department, which is still unique among TV stations in the region.
Kalil wa Dimn (1993)
was the first locally produced adult cartoon series in Lebanon (and probably in
the Arab world). It entailed an adaptation of an Arabic folk tale, its
animal-human characters tackling issues of political and social content. The initial production team, headed by George
(Jad) Khoury, included
cartoonists who went on to create series of their own, including Lina Ghaibeh,
and Edgar Aho, who was joined in the mid-1990s by Fulvio Codsi, and Bahige
Jaroudi.[18] Aided by two young scriptwriters, Rabih Mroué and Fadi Abi-Samra,[19] the team produced Taaleek
Al-Yaoum (The Daily Comment, 1995), a daily political commentary
cartoon in the format of a news broadcast with the main character a news anchor
and shown directly after the evening news. Whereas the previously mentioned
show was the result of teamwork, the series Roussoum Mutaharrira (Freed
Drawings, 3’, 2001 and still running), focused on a weekly theme and was
directed by one animator per week. That formula, imposed by the necessity of
daily deliverables and the short length of individual cartoons, gave each
animator the freedom to express his/herself, developing a wide variety of
styles and content, which became the trademark of the department.
Besides its daily contribution, and based on the
audience these adult cartoons attracted, the animation team became an essential
contributor to the station’s promotional campaigns. During the political
turmoil of the early millennium, the team spearheaded the station’s involvement
in the presidential election controversy of 2004 with Mouzakkarat Kursi
(Diary of a chair, 2004). The Independence
05 (2005) series played an influential role in the popular movement against
the Syrian presence in Lebanon that was later known as the “Cedar Revolution”, followed a year
later by the series Enough (2006), which took a stand against the
Israeli war of 2006.
What is remarkable is that the production of the
department was not limited to 2D cell animation, but it ventured into
Claymation with a series of promotion shorts untitled ATA (1997 and on),
but the high cost of the sets and production made it infrequent. With limited
technical resources for that specific genre, the animation team had to rely on
personal know-how, developing solutions from what was available. Based on humorous
scripts with sets related to main popular landmarks in Beirut, ATA the
common man clay guy entered the minds and hearts of thousands of viewers to a
point where it became a synonym to the station identity. One could not end the story of Future without mentioning the short-lived series Al-Watwat wa
Al-Sununu (The Bat and the Robin, 2004), a daily 3minutes soap-opera
parody, that ended after 3 months after it started and was based on the
Rotoscope technique.[20]
The Future Television experience was a turning
point in the local production of Cartoons. In parallel to their work for
television, animators of the team went on to sign their own independent shorts
or series: 1001 Days (George Khoury (Jad), 2000, 15’) is considered the first
short movie locally produced, and was granted regional and international
recognition.[21]
Tackling the issue of censorship in Lebanon under the Syrian occupation in the
new millennium, the movie was inspired by the structure and the storytelling of
the famous popular 1001 Nights,
throwing its main character into the daily hassle of the secret police. At the
same time, Lina Ghaibeh started to tackle women’s issues in animation. As the
first female animator in Lebanon, her 7 Days a Week (2000, 3’) focused on the
problems a working mother could face in her daily life, while as if to balance
with general human causes SadMan (2002, 3’:39”) was a depiction of a
reoccurring scene in different days with different problems and different
outcomes. In Ya Waladi (My Son, 2005, 4’:45”) Ghaibeh followed
the daily route of a mother to the city center holding the image of her missing
son during the war. With a style that holds her signature, the short acted as a catalyst in the public
awareness in favor of the cause of the disappeared. Burj El-Murr (2012, 13’) established her
as a reference figure in the Beirut animation scene, and her shorts continue to be shown at international
festivals. Similarly, Edgar Aho’s series The
Dictator (2003, animation shorts)[22]
was a landmark in Lebanese cartoons. Although the subject was very serious, Aho
managed by his unusual
skills and imagination
to make it funny and powerful.[23]
With the new millennium, Bahij Jaroudi joined
the animation department at Future Television. As a young talented
animator with an illustration and graphic design background, Jaroudi added a
fresh breath to the station’s production. His work for the TV and his
independent shorts, El-Toro Azul (2008, 48”), The Facts in the Case
of Mr. Valdemar (2009, 2’:40”) and Isabelle (2010, 3’:12’)
introduced a distinct style; that of his trademark peculiar characters
influenced by 1950s cartoon aesthetics, his eerie landscapes, and his fluid and
detailed movements. Jaroudi’s work is also highlighted by his impeccable choice
of soundtrack, certainly impacted by his extended conservatoire training and
love of music
Building an infrastructure: Academia on board
Future Television’s success story in making animation a major component of its image spread
a sort of signal to the post-civil-war generation eager to venture into this new
medium. The “buzz” that these shorts created among the audience, opened wide
the demand from other broadcasters, and advertising companies for skilled
animators. At the same time, the animation experience of Future Television
produced qualified animators who were ready to translate their practice into
academic courses and training opportunities, which would answer the demand for
skilled animators within Lebanon. One should notice that the advancement of
computers, and the relatively accessible animation tools provided through
affordable and specialized software (as archaic as they started) made this
shift possible.
It was, therefore, no
surprise that academic institutions (the main source that fuels the specialized
market) started offering animation courses as part of their existing graphic
design or audio-visual programs. The American University of Beirut (AUB) took
the lead at this level, offering two courses of cartoon skills headed by Lina Ghaibeh. The graphic design
program in AUB started specialized courses in 1995, and through the years,
graduated a generation of TV graphic designers and animators who played a
leading role in the re-launch of Pan-Arab TV stations in the Arab world, mainly
in the Gulf region. The Lebanese American University (LAU) followed 4 years later and
offered under the direction of George
Khoury (Jad)[24]
similarly tailored courses, which later expanded to form part of a Minor degree
in digital media. The animation courses offered at those universities, however, have
to date not developed into fully-fledged programs in animation.
It was not until the early 2000s that other
universities took this further, and developed their own fully-fledged programs.
Notre Dame University (NDU) established their animation program in 2001,
as part of the faculty of Sciences, naming it Computer Graphics &
Animation (CGA),[25] even though their visual
arts and graphic design program included courses in animation, with a three-year
multimedia design concentration.[26] Soon after, in 2003, the
Lebanese Academy of Art (ALBA) started an animation degree and later
introduced a Masters in animation [SV11] under the
direction of Alain Brenas, Michel Lamia, and Emile Adaimy.[27] ALBA offered two
directions; 2D-oriented animation at the school of visual arts, and 3D at the
school of Publicité or advertising. The Université Saint-Esprit at
Kaslik (USEK) collaborated with DigiPen Institute of Technology in
setting up their animation program, particularly as the program was offered as
part of their gamification and interactive media section. In addition to setting up the labs, the
company played an important role in providing training for the students and
offering employment to their graduates. This formula worked quite well and
developed an active group of game animators.[28] When DigiPen
closed down in Lebanon, some of the employees left and joined the firm in the
States, while others such as Reine Abbas together with Ziad Fghali started
their own gamification
firm. In 2008 Abbas
together with Feghali wrote the curriculum for USEK's MA program, which has
been offered since 2009.[29]
“Animation
d’auteur” disorder and reorganization
Although
the pioneering animation professionals in Lebanon were either self-taught or
had studied animation abroad, most of the new
generation came through local university programs. Exploring the field to its
fullest, animators ventured into a variety of animation genres and media: from
music videos and TV commercials to awareness campaigns; from 2D classic cell
animation to 3d modeling, stop-motion, and video compositing. Of those who
ventured out of the advertising and TV-commercial stream, one should mention
the category is better known as animation d’auteur or the animator
author.
Ghassan Halwani’s original style of depicting the
author’s disturbing inner world marked a difference among the newcomers: Gibraltar
(2005, 15’) revolves around a man with no roots or heritage in search of
absolute freedom after a disappearance, and Thakhabbot (2009, 4’)
presents two lives lived side by side in Beirut, a city in perpetual mutation.[30] Lena Merhej’s stark black
and white Drawing the War (2002), reflected a vision of a whole
generation affected by the civil war, as did her contribution in the roughly
drawn Another
Year (2008) a series of animation spots for the day of
solidarity with the Palestinian people.[31] Others chose a
more humorous approach to the war; Jad Sarout’s Zeid and Leila (2009,
8’) stood out with its fast-paced animation, clean lines, and modern love story.
With daring nude scenes, Sarout depicted a boring couple who,
having been killed in an explosion, begin a fierce race to heaven as ghosts.
His classmate Chadi Aoun paid
homage to his city, Beirut, through the fluid-action animation of a belly
dancer in his short Hawa (2007, 4’47”). Jad Sarout and Chadi Aoun also
founded Yelostudio, an independent animation studio in 2009.
Solo player David Habchi, a multidisciplinary
artist with a style of his own, made his fame in the field of stop-motion and
puppet animation in parallel with 2D cell animation; Wehde (2011,
4’20”), a 2D stop-motion play on the Arabic word loneliness and unity; and Fouad
(2013, 1’47”), an impressive short dedicated to the cause of the 17,000
people still missing from the war. Habchi was one of the few to
introduce animation as an exclusive component of pop video clips for youth. His
contribution to the hip-hop band Ashekman was an essential component of
their popular song Ya Reit (I wish, 2013), illustrated in the
signature
style of Fouad
Mezher, and directed by Michel Karshouny.
What made these experiences interesting is that the
above-mentioned animations (with the exception of Kaman Sana, which was
funded by the United Nations ESQWA program)[32],
were driven by the authors’/animators’ passion and determination in terms of
their effort, the time spent on the projects and the sources of funding. The
Lebanese government, suffering from an enormous post-war national debt, did not
consider the growth of an animation sector one of its priorities. At the same
time, TV stations had their own agendas, which were driven by the supposed
demands of large audiences, with short personal artistic cartoons being
considered elitist. Moreover, to the broader audience, cartoons as a general
perception are still considered a product for children. If anything could tempt
the broadcasters, it would be based on a long-term, lucrative investment such
as in an animated series or in feature movies. Additionally, in Lebanon at this
point, such projects still do not have the necessary manpower to accomplish all
the steps required for cartoon production, making dubbed foreign cartoons still
more lucrative.
Author-animators, marked by their individual
experimentations in style, genre, and targeted audience, have played a major
role in introducing diversified techniques and themes into local production.
They have been influenced by mainstream international trends of experimental
and artistic cartoons for select audiences as they closely follow current
innovations in the field. This process started early during the civil war
through the organization of periodic special screenings and workshops led
mainly by European cultural centers, spreading later to university campuses.
Such small-group encounters motivated various groups to gradually increase
public interest in animation through a variety of specialized events,
workshops, and screenings, including their own production. Although many of
these attempts were fleeting, with no continuity, one such collective, Waraq,
showed sustained and consistent activity as it aimed to create and showcase
multidisciplinary artistic projects in the Arab world. The collective organizes
and hosts a multitude of animation workshops in Lebanon and the wider region,
ranging from puppet-making to set design, puppet animation, and stop motion. It
also offers animation screenings, talks, and other events. The group has
successfully built a following and inspires many to work in the field.[33]
It was only natural that the scattered and individual
activities were soon channeled into a more unified forum, and that the
professionals congregated into an institutionalized organism. The Syndicate of Professional
Graphic Designers and Illustrators in Lebanon (SPGIL), which included animators
and cartoonists among the range of professions it comprised, came as a joint
effort of early pioneers in the above-mentioned fields.[34] Mainly focusing on legal
issues that cover copyright laws, social and health insurance, the SPGIL was an
important step towards protecting the rights of independent animators and in
trying to stabilize (still with little success) prices in the market by
monopolizing the legal representation of its members. Although the projects
initiated by the syndicate were geared more towards comics and illustration
activities (workshops, festivals, etc.) it deserves credit for having launched
the first animation festival in Lebanon. It is important to note, however, that
European animations comprised the majority of its screenings, with no local
ones being shown, and it did not gain the kind of attention received by the
more recent festival, Beirut Animated.
Let’s get serious: Beirut Animated
Launched
in 2009,[35]
on the initiative of Metropolis Association and the
partnership of Samandal magazine, Beirut Animated could be
considered the first serious animation festival in Lebanon, based on the number
of shows, the artists invited, the workshops, and seminars accompanying the
event and the scope of categories covered (features movies, shorts, video
clips) and techniques shown (2D cell animation, 3D and stop motion). Since its
initiation, the festival has worked slowly but surely towards building a dedicated
audience, as well as a steady increase in the number of participants.
Interestingly, the festival has been attracting a distinct audience of creative professionals, coming from animation, illustration and design, as well
as a younger audience than that type of short film festivals.[36] Contrary to expectations,
the festival did not attract a large number of children or families.
Applicants to the second animation festival more than
doubled, from 23 in its first year (2009), to 50 in the second, and twice that
again in the third edition of 2013. Participants from the Arab world increased
seven-fold, from eight in the first year to sixty in the most recent.[37] However, in 2011, with
the beginning of the Arab Spring and the rise of many Arab citizens against
their totalitarian regimes, the festival – like so many other film festivals in
the region – suffered a large decrease in regional participants, with only ten guests
from the Arab world outside Lebanon. This was to be expected, as the
instability created chaos, and most people were engrossed in their countries’
political situations. Additionally, it was difficult for the festival team to
reach possible participants, as well as being challenging for animators and
filmmakers to get their work sent in on time or even to attend if invited. In
2013, a number of Syrian
animators [SV20] who had fled
their civil war to Lebanon were able to participate in their work and attend
workshops and festival shows. Egyptians and North Africans, however, were
absent.[38]
A simple glance at the content of the programs reveals
the extent to which the organizers of Beirut Animated were eager to
focus on non-commercial animations coming from small studios or independent
animators rather than blockbuster producers. Such little-known animators and
products thus turned the festival into a main forum and platform for
professionals interested in alternative productions, attracting a savvy and
sophisticated public. They should be also credited for several other things as
well: screenings of the earliest cartoons in the region with the Frenkel
brothers production in Egypt in the late 1930s during the second festival,[39] a celebration of Grendizer,
the dubbed Japanese cartoon phenomenon of the 1970s during their first
festival,[40]
and their homage to the Future Television experience in the second, all
of which indicate an insistence on digging into the history of the genre in the
Arab world in a conscious attempt to build a collective local (animated) memory.[41]
Commercial sector: not an industry yet
Immediately
following the fifteen-year civil war, all sectors of Lebanese society were
involved in rebuilding the broken nation. Along with the massive reconstruction
projects, both the increase in TV channels[42] opening up to the world
and the thriving advertising firms resulted in high demand for professional
TV graphics and animations. Graduates were hired fresh out of school and, as
mentioned, specialized educational programs were created to cater to the rising
demand. Due to the high cost of specialized equipment and expertise and the
relatively low percentage of animations used in commercials, most advertising
agencies did not have in-house animation departments. Animated sequences,
therefore, were—and still are—outsourced to post-production companies such as Hedgehog,
Cube, Caustic, and The Post Office, among others.
During this time nevertheless, a few specialized
animation studios sprouted, catering mostly to advertising firms. Two such studios stand
out with their professionally animated commercials, Adeimy
Studio, founded in 1994 by Emile Adaimy, and Hani Bayoun studio,
named after its owner and running since 1999. Both, still in operation
today, continue with their advertising work as well as contributing high-quality
animations to various TV
channels, including selective shorts and in some cases offering specialized
services such as Adaimy studio's 3D Projection Mapping.
The high cost of equipment and technology held back
the development of small animation firms, along with the lack of skilled
manpower. Operating systems that could run high-end moving graphics and
animation software could cost $40,000 per unit, with an annual software upgrade
costing over $10,000[43] putting such equipment
beyond the reach of smaller firms or individuals. Only large institutions such
as TV stations, global advertising firms, and specialized studios were able to
purchase the prohibitively expensive hardware and software needed for their
moving graphics and to periodically renew their professional software.
It is safe to say that the last decade has seen an
increase in the use of 2D and, especially, 3D animation as an alternative to
live-action in commercials. According to advertising executives, shooting a
commercial is considered prohibitively expensive, whereas using animation cuts
down on the expenses enormously, and is therefore considered a viable choice
for clients. Ten years ago, this was not possible as the professional talent
was not available, nor was a high-enough technical quality to be convincing for
clients to approve it as an alternative solution available.[44] Furthermore, with
lower-priced equipment, independent animators are no longer obliged to work at
a company and are therefore more affordable.[45] The increasing speed of
the Internet has also made it possible to collaborate with animators from other
countries, broadening the spectrum and offering a wider range of types and
styles that were previously inaccessible. The spectrum of possibilities made
available through such advanced technology now allows for more inventive scriptwriting. Thus the
possibility of integrating animations into advertisements has broadened the
horizon of creativity with fewer and fewer technical limitations.
Today, between 15 and 20% of advertising firms’
commercial production in Lebanon is animation-based [46] most relying on 3D
animation, due to the convincing style of realism it can create and the special
effects it can produce. With the majority of animated commercials today
targeting adult audiences, the genre is no longer considered a children’s genre
but speaks to a wider and more diverse audience, both in ethnicities and across generations.[47]
Additionally, the global animation trend and years of accumulated exposure to a
large variety of alternative styles, types, and genres have increased interest
in animation as an alternative medium of expression and brought a broader
acceptance of animation as an effective means for addressing adult issues. This
has further allowed animation to be used as a medium to promote adult products
or services such as those recently developed for Bank Audi,[48] Balad[49], and Pert™ shampoo [50] as well as public
awareness campaigns addressing topics such as the stigma attached to mental
health issues. [51]
The future of animation: towards an industry or a developed independent scene?
Today, there is a multitude of platforms for
showcasing short animated films in Lebanon: from cinemas and TV channels to cultural
centers, educational institutions, and a robust film festival circuit. Various
websites and social media pages also act as podiums for the local animation
scene, with the Lebanese Animation Foundation’s social media page
boasting over 300 members. Uncertain of its sustainability, and still in its
infancy, the dedicated animation festival Beirut Animated, combined with
various other platforms, indicates that hope for modest growth in the
animation sector is possible. But is that enough to sustain or even promote a
fully-fledged industry?
Lebanon—with its multi-cultural identity, high rate of
education, renowned business savvy, and greater freedom of expression permitted
by the state than allowed in other Arab countries—has often served as a hub for
business and cultural activities, acting as a service center for the region. In
the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Beirut was the publishing hub of the Middle East,[52] catering to the writers,
intellectuals, and thinkers of the region. It also cranked out experts who,
fleeing Lebanon’s instability in the 1980s and 1990s, went on to work in the
Gulf States and other more stable countries of the region, starting successful
businesses and working as independent contractors and consultants. Known for
their entrepreneurship, resourcefulness, and leadership qualities, the Lebanese
have often taken the initiative, venturing into successful commercial ventures.
Why, then, has this not worked out for an animation industry capable of
producing feature-length films?
Perhaps an analogy may
be drawn with that of the closely related film industry, which suffers from a
similar syndrome: there is evidence of strong individual experimentation, but
no industry to speak of, the way there is one in Egypt or Syria. Partly to
blame is certainly the lack of governmental or institutional funding available
for such undertakings. In comparison, Syrian and Egyptian state television and
film associations are responsible for most of the films and the television
shows produced in those countries, resulting in the reputations both countries’
film industries have acquired.
The shortage of a
strong film industry that would support and attract scriptwriters, production
managers, and complex, team-based pipelined processes that the animation
production requires, greatly affects the situation in Lebanon. Furthermore, the
local market is far too limited to justify the expensive production of animated
series or feature films solely for domestic consumption; any such effort must
target the region, at the very least. The problem is that a fully commercial
production capable of supplying animated films to the region requires two
essential components: generous financing, something highly lacking here, and
accommodating political, cultural, and religious restrictions.
Although the Lebanese are used to circumnavigating some
of those restrictions, due to their complex sectarian composition, such a shift
of focus to the region would require that they abide by the tougher regional
rules of censorship, which they might find harder to tolerate. They have shown
a willingness to accommodate such restrictions in advertisements and
commercial films, but there is a greater reluctance when it comes to broader
questions of freedom of expression in art. Additionally, the issue of language is also a
concern, as pan-Arab productions tend to use classical Arabic instead of
local dialects to allow for a wider audience. Used more officially in
literature, newscasts or political speeches this language option is not
considered appropriate in cartoons, particularly as most television shows,
movies, and commercials are in colloquial Arabic.[53] The very successful
dubbing of the Disney™ animations into the Egyptian dialect —as opposed to the Classical Arabic normally used—in order to attract
younger audiences who are alienated by that form is a good example. Additionally, the various factors that might coalesce
in Lebanon to create a full-blown animated film industry have yet to appear. All
the factors are still in their infancy: university animation programs with
strong ties not only to renowned animation studios or production houses for
proper training are lacking as well as a,; cadre of scriptwriters, lighting and
sound specialists, lead animators, project managers, and directors.
Lebanon is more likely
to continue to act as the field for experimentation, particularly given a
number of factors: the relative freedom of expression; an openness to the West, and what this brings in the way of new technologies and alternative
perspectives; and the universities acting as research hubs. Add to these an
already existing high level of motivation and expertise, and you have a number
of the components that are essential for exploration and experimentation.
It is difficult to
foresee an expanded commercial future for feature-length animations in Lebanon,
and it is not likely that the country will function as an outsourcing hub for
animation similar to that in the Far East. Lebanon has neither the industrial
foundations nor the infrastructure, governmental funding or market to support
such an effort. It is possible that the production of more manageable short
animated programs will expand, as the demand already exists; series that have
appeared during the high season of Ramadan and met with general approval is
making a comeback every year.[54]
It is more likely that Lebanese cartoonists will continue to contribute to the
independent animation production scene, exploring possibilities, pushing the
boundaries of content, genre and quality, all the while providing the country
and the region with ample talent.
[2] Ibid.
332.
[3] Salibi, Kamal. Histoire du LIBAN du 18ème
siècle à nos jours. Paris, Naufal,1988. P PAGE NUMBER
Harris,
William. Lebanon: A History 600-2011. New York, Oxford University Press,
2012. p. 194 WHICH FOOTNOTE DOES THIS REFER TO?
[4] Kassir, Samir, op. cit., p. 382.
[5] On 28 May 1959, the first images of
the first commercial Arabic TV station were born on a national level with “La Compagnie Libanaise de Télévision”
broadcasting on Channel 7 (Arabic),
and Channel 9 (French). The daily broadcast time was from 7:00pm till
10:00pm. Boulos, Jean-Claude La Télé Quelle Histoire!, p. 46. INCOMPLETE REFERENCE
[6] Ibid. p. 51.
[7] Ibid. p. 46.
[8] Ibid. p. 51.
[9]
Boulos, Jean-Claude, p.134
[10] Abu
Dhabi, Dubai, Jordan, and Syria.
[11] Ibid. p. 98.
[12] The mergeR was effective in May
1977. Ibid., p.158
[13] The main companies were Nippon Animation Co., Ltd, TOEI Animation, Tokyo Movie Shinsha
(TMS Entertainment).
[14] FILMALI Production SAL, and Studio Baalback, both located in Beirut. The
first was founded by Nicolas Abou-Samah, already working Director at Télé-Liban, who gathered lead actors from
the Lebanese TV series that had stopped due to the limited budgets of the war conditions.
[15] The Lebanese civil war lasted from
1975 until 1990.
[16] Interview with George
Khoury (Jad), Head of Animation Department at “Future Television” since 1993.
[17] “Future Television” is a private
TV station founded in 1992 and started national broadcasting in February 1993. It
was one of two Lebanese stations (with LBC) to occupy the space of the pan-Arab
scene in the MENA region for almost a decade.
[18] Interview with George Khoury (Jad)
head of the Animation department, Future
television since 1993.
[19] Rabih Mroué is now a renowned
playwright and performance artist. Fadi Abi-Samra developed a career in acting
in feature movies.
[20] Ibid.
WHICH SOURCE DOES THIS REFER TO? NOT 19?
[21] The film was selected for
festivals such as Vidéaste recherchée, Canada (2000), Casablanca video art festival, Morocco (2000), and Ismailiya film
festival, Egypt (2001).
[22] Edgar Aho passed away that same year leaving behind a sad
note in the local animation scene.
[23] All the mentioned cartoons were
subject to a broadcast ban, and the station stopped airing cartoons for 3
months.
[24] Interview with Khoury,
head of the animation department at Future Television.
[27] Emile Adaimy founder of one
of the first commercial animation studios in Lebanon.
[28] Habchy, David
illustrator animator, and cofounder of Waraq collective. personal interview,
Lina Ghaibeh July 2014
[29] Abbas, Reine,
Personal interview Lina Ghaibeh Aug 2014.
[30] Beirut Animated Catalogue 2009
[31] Another Day. dir. by Maher
Abi-Samra, animated by Merhej, Karim Farah and Maya Chami, 2008.
[32] The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western
Asia promotes economic and social development through regional
and sub-regional cooperation and integration.
[33] Waraq was founded in 2013 by four creatives; David
Habchy, Joan Bazz, Hussein Nakhal and Ashley Phebe Shoukair, coming together
from various fields ranging from animation and illustration to graphic design
and performing arts.
[34] These include Lina Ghaibeh, George
Khoury (Jad), Edgar Aho, Hani Baayoun and Emile Adaimy, all animators among the
early founders of SPGIL, which
is presided over by Rita Saab Mukarzel, a veteran comics artist herself.
[35] The first edition of Beirut
Animated took place from 16 to 19 November 2009, with the support of the Arab
fund for Arts and Culture, the French Embassy-Beirut, the Goethe
Institute-Beirut. It continued as a
biannual festival and is on its third edition (see the festival catalogue for more details).
[36] Interview with
Hania Mroueh, Founder and Director of Metropolis Art Cinema and Beirut
Animated. July 2014.
[37] Ibid
[38] Beirut Animated 3rd edition program
2013.
[39] Beirut Animated 2nd edition program 2011.
[40] Beirut Animated 1st
edition program 2009.
[41] Beirut Animated 2nd edition
program 2011.
[42] The Audiovisual Media Law of 1994
not only regulated the airwaves but also ended the state's monopoly over
broadcast television that had been in effect since 1977. Five licenses were
granted to different broadcasters reflecting more or less the major political
and sectarian communities: LBCI, MTV, NBN. AL-MANAR and FUTURE TELEVISION the
last venue. 2 years later they were accorded the rights to satellite
broadcasting.
[43] Interview with Khoury,
Georges Jad. Head of the animation department, Future television. June 2014.
[44] Interview with Kanaan,
Walid, the chief creative officer at IMPACT BBDO Beirut (Advertising firm), July
2014.
[45] Interview with Mahmoud,
Areej Creative director at H&C Leo Burnett advertising firm, July 2014.
[46] Ibid.
[47] Kanaan, Ibid
[48] Clear all the way, H&C
Leo Burnett Beirut. Bank Audi Retail. Production House: Wonderful, animation: Dadomani
Studios, 2012. Available online: http://youtu.be/mc47n-dl0dc.
[49] Ibid. Production
House: Bent Image Lab (Portland, US)
[50] Ibid. ‘Stop the suffering’ hair loss
campaign, 2008
[51] A mental health awareness campaign, by embrace
fund, an awareness support network for mental health in Lebanon and the Middle
East, affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at the American University
of Beirut Medical Center, and supported by the Ministry of Health. 2014.
www.embracefund.org.
[52] Harris, William. Lebanon:
A History 600-2011. New York, Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 194.
[53] Elias Muhanna.
“Translating Frozen Into Arabic.” The New Yorker, 30 May 2014. Accessed
online: 15 June 2014 <http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/translating-frozen-into-arabic>.
[54] Nisaa' fil Qoran is a cartoon
series broadcast on Future
Television during the month of Ramadan 2014.
