Lebanese resilience put to the test
In 2024, Lebanon faces yet another war between Israel and Hezbollah. This latest conflict, forced upon an already fragile country, has resulted in thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. It stirs memories of past traumas, such as the civil war (1975–1990) and the port explosion in Beirut, which have left the population exhausted. It has also worsened the country’s poverty, still reeling from its early-2020s financial crisis. How can Lebanon endure all this without collapsing? What drives the resilience that is so often called upon—solidarity, a spirit of resistance, or justice?
Peter Harling
Director of the Synaps research centre
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Andrea Fahed
Protagonist of To Close your Eyes and See Fire
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Sabyl Ghoussoub
Author, journalist and photographer
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Dina Hajjar
Head of Caritas Switzerland’s office in Lebanon
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The discussion is interpreted in English and French
To Close your Eyes and See Fire
Beirut is in ruins. The explosion at the city’s port has left the population traumatised. There’s Aya, a Syrian refugee; Selim, an artist and activist; the Aladdin family in mourning; Yasmin, who responds to calls from a suicide prevention hotline; and Andrea, who firmly believes that the city will get back on its feet. Meanwhile, a latent tension persists in the port and Beirut’s inhabitants hesitate whether to stay or leave. Over three years, the film follows a population devastated by this tragedy with international repercussions. To Close Your Eyes and See Fire is a poetic mosaic about the void left by tragedy, but it also tackles the unanswered questions that still haunt the city.
Jakob Carl Sauer
Von Leffern/Sauer
