“Tonight” Cinema in Lebanon

1929-1979

In December 2015, Abboudi published the first documentation of Lebanese, Arab and foreign movies, filmed in Lebanon between the years of 1927-1979. Abboudi, a cinephile, would try to gather information on films he viewed in Lebanon, but would receive inconsistent information regarding directors, actors, technicians or the year of production. Hence, the book serves to investigate and accurately document fifty years of cinema in Lebanon.

“Tonight” fills the gap of over half a century of film production, and preserves and honors collective cultural knowledge in hopes to be passed on to future generations.

Launch of the Book

The launch of his book coincided with an exhibit in Zaytouna Bay spanning 150 posters and print found in the book. Additionally, the event was structured as an old theatre, showing a cart filled with Kazouza and pink-colored nuts; beloved cinema snacks back in the day. Attracting all generations, the event was a remembering and the honoring of a history rich in culture and the arts.

Arab Thought Foundation Awardee

A translation of the brief description of the award:

“In recognition of Abboudi Bou Jaoude’s Book “Tonight – Cinema in Lebanon”, which documented the facts, names and pictures of a history of Cinema in Lebanon over fifty years, and which includes Lebanese, Arab and foreign film posters which were filmed in the lands of Cedar, as well as the critical words accompany such films. This book which took years of meticulous searching and dedicated hardworking of collecting, detaining, correcting misinformation is a huge book combining aesthetic viewings related to its artistic measure, as well as the detailed documentation of cultural knowledge.”