Carmen Labaki
| Carmen Labaki كارمن لبكي | |
|---|---|
 Carmen Labaki | |
| Born |
1971 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Lebanese and Brazilian |
| Occupation | Film Director, producer |
| Website | www.carmenlabaki.com |
Carmen Labaki (in Arabic كارمن لبكي) (born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1971) is a Lebanese / Brazilian movie director and producer. Carmen Labaki was born in Beirut. She is the winner of the Best Documentary Film Award 2005 at the Arpa International Film Festival in Hollywood, run by Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art for Labaki directing and producing Armenians of Lebanon about the Armenian community in Lebanon.[1]
Beginnings
Starting 1989, Carmen Labaki studied audio-visual arts, communications, radio-television and cinema in Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris and in 1992, was awarded the Master of Communication Art at the same University.[2] She also got a Francophone DES diploma in Journalism (CFPJ - IFP - LU).
She started her career in the French and Brazilian televisions, especially France 2 (Paris), France 3 (Paris and Ajaccio - Corsica), Télé Monte-Carlo (Monaco), and SBT (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão - São Paulo)
Career
Labaki is a member of the Syndicate of Professional Artists in Lebanon. She has produced various television programs, documentaries and social, cultural and artistic reports in Lebanon and many countries.
Besides Armenians of Lebanon (in Arabic أرمن لبنان), the dual Lebanese and Brazilian national is also the producer and director of many other documentaries including:
- I Knocked on the Temple's Door, a 2011 documentary about the Freemasons[3][4][5]
- My Name is Aram, a docudrama produced in 2006, relating the story of Aram Tcholakian, a survivor of the Armenian Genocide[6]
- Armenia, the Sleeping Beauty, a tourist film produced in 2004, revealing the unknown richness of the newborn Republic of Armenia
- France in Lebanon, a documentary featuring the close historical ties between Lebanon and France. The documentary film was selected by Le Sommet de la Francophonie as part of the cultural program running in parallel with the Francophony international event which took place in Beirut, Lebanon in October 2002.
- Brazil in Lebanon produced in 1997, telling the story of the Lebanese who immigrated to Brazil around 100 years ago. Some Lebanese Brazilians come back to visit Lebanon with a lot of emotion and still maintain tight bonds with the "land of their ancestors".
Carmen took part in casting candidates for Star Academy France and Star Academy Lebanon, and collaborated with the Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) in casting candidates for various worldwide renowned programs in their Middle Eastern edition (like syndicated "Biggest Loser", "World's Apart" and others) and directing the programs.
For three years, she was the news producer at the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI).
She has also directed
- Fendi Fashion Show in China 2007: Reportage on a fashion show that took place at the Great Wall of China with Sylvia Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld.
- Miss Lebanon event in Malaysia 2007 reportage covering the humanitarian activities of Miss Lebanon 2007 in Lebanon and Malaysia. It was supported by financial support from the Malaysian authorities.
- Miss Universe in Mexico 2007: Reportage about the activities of Miss Lebanon 2007 during Miss Universe event
- Byblos Bank 2006 - Report promoting Byblos Bank financial and banking activities
- Boghossian Association in Armenia 2006 - Report on social and educational activities of the association
- Clip commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The film produced by the Armenian Committee for the Genocide in 2005 was broadcast by LBCI (Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International).
- World's Apart shot in Mongolia 2005. Two Middle Eastern episodes produced and broadcast by Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC).
- Promotional materials covering festival shows including "Montserrat Caballe", "Le Ballet de Bolchoi", "Missia", "Majida Roumi" etc.
- Documentary on the region of Ras El Khaimeh in the United Arab Emirates in 2008
At present, she is directing Sawtna (meaning "Our Voice"), a UNICEF-financed TV program,[7] supported by the Netherlands Government, putting ahead the youth's opinions about social, political and economical issues. Sawtna is shown weekly on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) since 2006.
Concurrently, she is the producer in Lebanon for Publicis Graphics (Saudi Arabia - Riyadh) and has her own Film Production House "LUMENS".
Personal life
Carmen Labaki is a polyglot and fluently speaks French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish and English.
She also decided to learn the Armenian language long before starting her movies about the Armenians, to understand better their way of thinking and staying faithful to their history.
She is married to Mr. Kadian, an Armenian.
References
- ↑ Nada Raad in The Daily Star (as reported in Azad-Hye): Lebanon's Information Minister Samaha said more such documentaries should be made on the history of Lebanon's various communities
- ↑ Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival - Carmen Labaki page
- ↑ Al Jazeera.net: فيلم عن الماسونية لكارمن لبكي - Film about Freemasons by Carmen Labaki (in Arabic)
- ↑ Lorient LeJour, Beirut, Lebanon's "Campus" supplement: «J’ai frappé à la porte du temple», documentaire de Carmen Labaki (in French)
- ↑ Podcast Journal: Carmen Labaki, une réalisatrice qui voudrait toucher à l'impossible (in French)
- ↑ Al Mustaqbal: كارمن لبكي والعم آرام في هايكازيان - Carmen Labaki and My Name is Aram in Haigazian (in Arabic)
- ↑ Centre Catholique: اليونيسيف تؤهّل المواهب الاعلامية لـ 45 شابة وشاباً - UNICEF trains 45 media talents Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. (in Arabic)