This programme traces the enduring histories of occupation and war in South Lebanon, from 1978 to the present, through films that bear witness to both armed resistance and the quieter, everyday labour of remaining. Framed by acts of return – to liberated villages, to destroyed homes, to sites of memory – the programme honours those who fought on the frontlines and those who, between intervals, continued to care for the land, preserving life and sustaining the possibility of return as acts of resistance in themselves.

Screened as part of Falastin Film Festival (27—30 August).

About the films

Randa Chahal Sabbag: Soha, Surviving Hell

Originally from South Lebanon – a region she had always known to be under Israeli occupation – Souha Bechara attempted to assassinate General Lahd, commander of the South Lebanon Army, an auxiliary force of Israel. Seriously injured, he narrowly escaped death. Souha, meanwhile, was imprisoned and tortured. She was 21 years old and would spend ten years in Khiam camp, six of them in complete solitary confinement.

On 24 May 2000, after 23 years of occupation, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon. The Khiam camp was stormed by the crowd… The film traces Souha’s return to her village of Deir Mimas, to the Khiam camp, and to the very place where she attempted to assassinate General Lahd, showing her reunion with former detainees from the Khiam camp.

Batoul Faour: The Bunker, The Barrack & The Base

Towards the end of the Second World War, French and British forces fortified the Khiam Marjayoun valley and its surrounding villages in the South of Lebanon through a comprehensive military scheme. At the core of this scheme were three structures – a hospital bunker, an airbase, and a military barracks. After the retreat of the allies came the establishment of the State of Israel, and the political turmoil that would follow. The Bunker, The Barracks, and The Base is a portrait of collective remembrance in a landscape where invasion and occupation have shaped the lives of many generations. It explores the three architectural sites through the experiences of those who have come to inhabit them beyond their militaristic ambitions. The relationship of these sites to the land, to each other, and to the border that mediates them is rife with contradiction, and yet what binds them are the histories—memories, spirits, outlooks—of those that have learned to make a life through, with, and despite them.

Fatima Joumaa: From My Mother’s Novel

Fatima, Layla’s daughter, after documenting the war in South-lebanon, returns to her home to hide within the folds of her mother’s book. As she uncovers her mother’s hidden writings, she discovers the echoes of Southern Lebanon’s grief during the war. Through Layla’s words and her own photographs, the film weaves a tapestry of personal and collective memory.

Joude Bazzoun: 66 Days

Set in the village of Bazouriye in South Lebanon, 66 Days follows filmmaker Joude Bazzoun’s return to her homeland after witnessing Israel’s 2024 onslaught on Lebanon from abroad. Through intimate conversations with her family, Joude uncovers the losses they have suffered. The film reflects on the importance of memory and tradition by exploring the ritual of a card game and family gatherings. 66 Days quietly resists erasure, preserving the family’s stories and heritage while celebrating the defiant joy found in simple family traditions.

After the screening there will be a Q+A with the directors.