In the three days that followed the Beirut explosion, my screen-time consumption was averaging eight hours a day. Transfixed by the uncanny imagery of a mushroom explosion defacing the city of my birth, I eventually descended into a physical lethargy and an inability to speak. My condition would only start to ease after I booked a flight back home and confirmed a crew for a week of story-hunting amid the carnage.
I last lived in Beirut 22 years ago when I was a film student. The city continued to inform the filmmaker I am for years to come as I made films in Montreal, Dubai and Berlin.
Its gardenia-lined alleys and majestic coastline grace my first films. Many years later, I would make Grandma, a Thousand Times in the city and capture a rich familial culture that charmed audiences. I needed to reconcile the city I carry within me with what remains of it. Capturing that on film was to be a way of coping – perhaps the camera can diffuse a shock that can blind the eyes and crush a heart.
A week after the explosion, Beirut glistens and gleams in its glass debris. Crushed glass covers the streets like Christmas snow. Shards swept into piles by residents flicker in the midday sun. In cracked mirrors and window panes, one can see scarred reflections of familiar streets. Many of the scars sustained by Beirut victims are from glass as well. The many who were seduced to their windows at the moment of the explosion absorbed its shards in their faces and bodies.
My cousin's daughter, Leya Jalloul, is one of them. A beaming 24-year-old, she sustained 100 stitches from a collapsing glass door at her local gym. Luckily, her eyes were spared. "Day after another, I appreciate these scars," she tells my camera confidently. "They are part of something I have lived."
Her words ring true for thousands with this defining injury. At Rizk Hospital, Dr Mawad confirmed that plenty of the city's glass had to be extracted from its people's flesh.
Beirut always bared its scars proudly. Its buildings are known for bullet holes and shelled walls where birds build nests. To each building, there is a singular look and a war story. But the port explosion damaged the city differently. Filming the neighbourhoods of Mar Mikhael and Gemmayzeh from the road facing the port, it seems as if the damage was caused by a biblical tempest. Buildings are thoroughly hollowed out by the pressure, sometimes with the back walls bursting open. Corrugated iron is bent in the same direction. One can picture the massive blow and its direction. I obsess, imagining the sound of all urban structures being deformed at once, before the glass fell down in a long shower.
The explosion dealt a final blow to Beirut's vanishing heritage. For a few years, the city's oldest houses have been falling one by one at the hands of relentless developers vying for prime locations for modern property projects. Many of the remaining houses were too old to withstand the explosion. As their owners struggle to repair and maintain, the developers are now trying to seal quick deals. Disaster capitalism is thriving amid the carnage. My interview with Nicole, a survivor's wife, was interrupted by three different calls from bidders on her destroyed car. "How do they find your number?" I asked. "They probably collect plate numbers and share them with insiders at the registry who pull phone numbers up for them," she said. Even private data is on sale for a price.
Many described to me an empty gaze that people had following the explosion, as they walked around aimlessly in their wounds. That empty gaze lingers still in many. In Beirut, voices are shrill
Regardless of the experience of the explosion, some stories were repeated by many. Everyone thought that the blast took place right on their street. All assumed they were the only ones injured, until they got to the street and saw others were as well. Many described to me an empty gaze that people had following the explosion, as they walked around aimlessly in their wounds. That empty gaze lingers still in many. In Beirut, voices are shrill.
A rage pervades when people speak of the crime perpetrated against them by their own government and the abandonment that followed, as they were left to salvage their lives on their own. The clean-up on the streets and the hot meals being delivered to some homes are all out of volunteer civilian efforts. No one I spoke to was offered compensation by the government or promised help to patch up their homes. Few want justice; many want revenge.
Nonetheless, the Beirutis seem to be hard at work, building and fixing, even without access to income or savings. As they help each other in a stellar display of civic duty, they vanquish the myth of sectarianism which kept politicians in power since the mid-1990s.
In the low-income neighbourhood of Karantina, the poor and the refugees languish out of sight. Even TV crews don't go there. Many of its residents live on rooftops behind corrugated iron on poorly built buildings. So their loss of life was high when the port exploded 400 metres away. The Syrians of Karantina are too aware of autumn coming soon. Rain is potentially life-threatening without a roof above one's head.
Around me and the people I interviewed, the coronavirus was still spreading like wildfire. At the time of my shoot, Lebanon was recording 600 cases a day. For days, I talked to people while muzzled by a C-95 mask, my hands covered in disposable latex gloves. People answered from afar, while a zoom lens compensated for the necessary social distancing. My diligent line producer ran back and forth between me and them to offer hand disinfectants. The pandemic challenges the empathetic core of documentary-making. I could not shake the hand of a single person I interviewed.
At night, Beirut is a city of ghosts. I took nightly strolls between Hamra and Ein Mreisseh, walking the paths that impressed upon me as a younger man. The smell of gardenia and the salt air near the Corniche are palpable still. But many shops are out of business. Some of my favourite childhood restaurants have shut down forever, as they were caught in the downward spiral of poverty and low demand. The few that remain offer limited menus and close early. My hotel in Hamra does not offer milk with coffee. "Demand is so low, we had to cut down on items," the manager tells me.
My feisty grandmother survived and wants to embrace life like many of my people. I visited her briefly, and painfully decided that she would be safer if we did not hug. We sat at a distance and spoke of family and people’s pains. The explosion flung her shisha pipe in the air and brought down a window pane. “It was like an earthquake,” she said. “Worse than anything they have done to us before. May they be damned.”
At 95 years old, she is almost the age of Lebanon. She can testify to what misery this country has seen.
Mahmoud Kaabour is a Lebanese filmmaker who lives in Berlin. He is currently documenting the aftermath of the Beirut explosion
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
more from Janine di Giovanni
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
World%20Food%20Day%20
%3Cp%3ECelebrated%20on%20October%2016%2C%20to%20coincide%20with%20the%20founding%20date%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organisation%2C%20World%20Food%20Day%20aims%20to%20tackle%20issues%20such%20as%20hunger%2C%20food%20security%2C%20food%20waste%20and%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20food%20production.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
UAE%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3E%0DJemma%20Eley%2C%20Maria%20Michailidou%2C%20Molly%20Fuller%2C%20Chloe%20Andrews%20(of%20Dubai%20College)%2C%20Eliza%20Petricola%2C%20Holly%20Guerin%2C%20Yasmin%20Craig%2C%20Caitlin%20Gowdy%20(Dubai%20English%20Speaking%20College)%2C%20Claire%20Janssen%2C%20Cristiana%20Morall%20(Jumeirah%20English%20Speaking%20School)%2C%20Tessa%20Mies%20(Jebel%20Ali%20School)%2C%20Mila%20Morgan%20(Cranleigh%20Abu%20Dhabi).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
FIGHT CARD
Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Results
5.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Al Battar, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer).
6.05pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Good Fighter, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
6.40pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Immortalised, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
7.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Franz Kafka, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
8.25pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Mayadeen, Connor Beasley, Doug Watson.
9pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Chiefdom, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
RESULTS
Main card
Bantamweight 56.4kg: Mehdi Eljamari (MAR) beat Abrorbek Madiminbekov (UZB), Split points decision
Super heavyweight 94 kg: Adnan Mohammad (IRN) beat Mohammed Ajaraam (MAR), Split points decision
Lightweight 60kg: Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) beat Faridoon Alik Zai (AFG), RSC round 3
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Taha Marrouni (MAR) beat Mahmood Amin (EGY), Unanimous points decision
Light welterweight 64.5kg: Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE), Unanimous points decision
Light heavyweight 81.4kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Haroun Baka (ALG), KO second round
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
Match info
Deccan Gladiators 87-8
Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16
Maratha Arabians 89-2
Chadwick Walton 51 not out
Arabians won the final by eight wickets
