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'''Eliane Raheb''' (Arabic: إليان الراهب; is a documentary [[filmmaker]] from [[Lebanon]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.berliner-kuenstlerprogramm.de/en/gast.php?id=1274|title=Berliner Künstlerprogramm {{!}} Biography: Raheb, Eliane|website=www.berliner-kuenstlerprogramm.de|access-date=2016-11-21}}</ref>
== Early Life and
Eliane Raheb was born in 1972 in [[Lebanon]], where spent most of her youth during the Lebanese civil war. She said “I remember moving from one place to the next in search of shelter, like everyone else at the time. We lived through hard and painful moments. Despite that, we prevailed: we went to school and carried on with our lives”. “I will never forget the days of social harmony, when everyone would help the other”. She was 19 when the war ended, leaving her with unanswered questions. <ref> لطيف كابي. “بدون قناع - المخرجة اللبنانية إليان الراهب تعرض «ليالٍ بلا نوم» في باريس: ‘لم أفهم هذه الحروب الصغيرة داخل الحرب الكبيرة!".” مونت كارلو الدولية, مونت كارلو الدولية, 5 Sept. 2014, www.mc-doualiya.com/programs/sans-masque-mcd/20140505-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%81. </ref>
Eliane Raheb was born in 1972 in [[Lebanon]], where she studied at IESAV in [[Beirut]] to become a filmmaker.<ref name=":1">Armes, R..''Arab Filmmakers of the Middle East: A Dictionary.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010. ''Project MUSE''</ref> She has since worked as an editor and [[assistant director]], producing short film and documentaries.<ref name=":1" /> Raheb's directorial debut came the release of her short film ''The Last Screening'', which revolves around the relationship between a girl and her grandfather's theater.<ref name=":0" /> With her 2012 film ''Layali Bala Noom'' (Sleepless Nights), Raheb made her debut as a feature-length film director.<ref name=":0" />▼
Raheb’s grandfather owned a theatre in Zahleh, Lebanon, that helped spark her interest in film. Her family would take refuge in her grandfathers theatre during the war where they would watch films. <ref> inpettofilm. “Eliane Raheb - Gast Des Berliner Künstlerprogramms Des DAAD 2015.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IiD3xKdnw.</ref>
She began her journey acting in theatre, working with [[Roger_Assaf|Roger Assaf]]. Alongside acting, she began writing and directing in theatre which helped her realize her true passion of film directing. <ref> توبي هناء. “إليان الراهب: الموضوعية السينمائية كذبة كبيرة.” صحيفة الخليج, 30 Mar. 2015, www.alkhaleej.ae/alkhaleej/page/5ddb31c4-fbc9-4211-878e-f1782bca4d71. </ref>
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==Career==
Raheb's directorial debut came the release of her short film ''The Last Screening'', which revolves around the relationship between a girl and her grandfather's theater.<ref name=":0" /> With her 2012 film ''Layali Bala Noom'' (Sleepless Nights), Raheb made her debut as a feature-length film director.<ref name=":0" />
Raheb says she was always interested in fiction, however her work began to take a documentary approach because of her life’s political nature.<ref> inpettofilm. “Eliane Raheb - Gast Des Berliner Künstlerprogramms Des DAAD 2015.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IiD3xKdnw.</ref>
For example, she details in her 2002 documentary ''So Near Yet So Far'' how the Intifada squashed the hopes of visiting neighbouring countries for children living Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.<ref name=":0" />
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In her documentary ''Sleepless Nights'', which was screened in more than 50 film festivals, Raheb explores the blanket amnesty granted to all those who committed political crimes during the [[Lebanese Civil War|Lebanese civil war]] and how it affected both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/sleepless-nights-1117948928/|title=Review: ‘Sleepless Nights’|last=Weissberg|first=Jay|date=2012-12-22|newspaper=Variety|language=en-US|access-date=2016-12-05}}</ref> To that end, ''Sleepless Nights'' chronicles the lives of [[Assaad Chaftari]], an ex-intelligence officer who was directly responsible for many casualties during his tenure as a high-ranking member of the Christian right wing militia during the [[Lebanese Civil War]], and Maryam Saiidi, whose son Maher, a young communist fighter, went missing in 1982.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://watson.brown.edu/events/2014/screening-sleepless-nights-film-directed-eliane-raheb|title=Screening of Sleepless Nights, a film directed by Eliane Raheb {{!}} Watson Institute|website=watson.brown.edu|access-date=2016-12-05}}</ref>
Raheb went about Sleepless Nights inspired by the character of Assaad Chaftari, she then began meeting with him and “interrogating him” as she put it.<ref>Beirut, Ayam. “A Chat with Eliane Raheb, Director of 'Sleepless Nights' (English Subtitles).” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Apr. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwOMKIm2dk8.</ref>
Her latest documentary "Those who remain", was screened in more than 20 festivals and received 5 awards, such as the Special Jury Prize Muhr Feature award at the 13th annual dubai film festival.<ref>“DIFF Awards 2016.” Dubai Film Fest, dubaifilmfest.com/en/page/387/muhr_awards_2016.html.</ref> Those who remain explores the life of Haykal, a 60 years old Christian farmer who lives in a complex geo-political spot in North Lebanon, a few kilometers away from Syria, and who is struggling to stay in his land, amidst all sectarian tensions, fear and hopelessness. Raheb says “I wanted to give the land a political, not only geographical, meaning”.<ref>Berlin, Alfilm. “Interview with Director Eliane Raheb.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3OuJciROpg.</ref>
Alongside her career as a filmmaker, Raheb also supports the Lebanese film community by teaching filmmaking at the [[Saint Joseph University|St. Joseph University]] in Beirut and being active in cultural organizations in Lebanon. .<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
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Raheb's Lebanese-based production company Itar Productions, is active throughout the Arab world.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dohafilminstitute.com/financing/projects/grants/sleepless-nights|title=Sleepless nights|newspaper=Doha Film Institute|access-date=2016-12-06}}</ref>
==Style
Raheb has displayed an interest in the Lebanese experience across her [[filmography]]. Commenting on her own work, Raheb stated, "‘In the absence of a film industry structure in Lebanon, short films have performed the invaluable task of chronicling life in Lebanon after the war. They provide the material for a potential cinema."<ref>Khatib, Lina. Tauris World Cinema : Lebanese Cinema : Imagining the Civil War and Beyond. London, US: I.B.Tauris, 2008. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 5 December 2016.</ref> Eliane believes that cinema is an integral tool that should be used in order to unravel Lebanon’s past. She says “If we don’t talk about the past, we cannot move on to the future”.<ref>لطيف كابي. “بدون قناع - المخرجة اللبنانية إليان الراهب تعرض «ليالٍ بلا نوم» في باريس: ‘لم أفهم هذه الحروب الصغيرة داخل الحرب الكبيرة!".” مونت كارلو الدولية, مونت كارلو الدولية, 5 Sept. 2014, www.mc-doualiya.com/programs/sans-masque-mcd/20140505-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%81.</ref>
''Sleepless Nights'' received a warm reception from critics. Jay Weissberg, writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', said, "It's hard to find a Lebanese film that doesn’t focus on the bloody [[civil war]]. And yet it is even harder to find a film that treats this topic better than Sleepless Nights."<ref name=":3" /> [[Sight & Sound|Sight and Sound]] included the film in its list of the 25 best international films of 2013.<ref name=":0" /> It also won a number of competitions, including the human rights prize at the Cine Invisible in Bilbao, a competition for documentary film at the Birds Eye View Festival in London, and the full-length film competition at the LAIFF Festival in Argentina.<ref name=":0" />▼
Her childhood during the civil war largley influenced her work. “I never understood the little wars within the big one” Said Eliane.<ref>لطيف كابي. “بدون قناع - المخرجة اللبنانية إليان الراهب تعرض «ليالٍ بلا نوم» في باريس: ‘لم أفهم هذه الحروب الصغيرة داخل الحرب الكبيرة!".” مونت كارلو الدولية, مونت كارلو الدولية, 5 Sept. 2014, www.mc-doualiya.com/programs/sans-masque-mcd/20140505-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%81</ref>
Thus, she went on to answer her own questions through film: “The war lingers in my head, and I always search for it traces. So I wanted to ask my questions on the screen”. She began her socio-political documentary work around the year 2000.<ref>لطيف كابي. “بدون قناع - المخرجة اللبنانية إليان الراهب تعرض «ليالٍ بلا نوم» في باريس: ‘لم أفهم هذه الحروب الصغيرة داخل الحرب الكبيرة!".” مونت كارلو الدولية, مونت كارلو الدولية, 5 Sept. 2014, www.mc-doualiya.com/programs/sans-masque-mcd/20140505-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8-%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7-%D9%86%D9%88%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%81</ref>
When asked about her objectivity in “Sleepless Nights” Eliane responded:
“In the field of cinema, objectivity is a big lie, I tried to be as objective as possible, that is why I did not make a film about the Lebanese civil war, rather I made a film about two people who lived through the war. I began from that reality, to tell their story, not mine. This film is not a biased journalistic report, rather it is a creative work that identifies with the human: her emotions, fears, and dreams.”<ref>توبي هناء. “إليان الراهب: الموضوعية السينمائية كذبة كبيرة.” صحيفة الخليج, 30 Mar. 2015, www.alkhaleej.ae/alkhaleej/page/5ddb31c4-fbc9-4211-878e-f1782bca4d71.</ref> Her story began with an interest in Assaad’s character. Through her research and consistent interviews with him, Eliane uncovered the two conflicting narratives that we see in the film, and hence the multifold story of Maryam and Assaad is born.<ref>Beirut, Ayam. “A Chat with Eliane Raheb, Director of 'Sleepless Nights' (English Subtitles).” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Apr. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwOMKIm2dk8.</ref>
Because of it’s political nature, Raheb’s work is largely documentary. However Raheb describes her method as such: “Then I learned, again, through documentary, how to bring back the fiction……. so I am dealing with an issue that is important, but I am having real characters, instead of having actors, but if I want to be cinematic, I have to deal with them as if they are characters in a film… …I have to give them the time to develop their own story with a dramatical line”.<ref>inpettofilm. “Eliane Raheb - Gast Des Berliner Künstlerprogramms Des DAAD 2015.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Oct. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IiD3xKdnw.</ref>
==Awards and Nominations==
Raheb's documentary ''This Is Lebanon'' received the Excellency Award at the Yamagata film festival in Japan.<ref name=":4" />
At the [[Mumbai Film Festival]], Raheb's film ''Suicide'' garnered second place.<ref name=":0" />
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Her film Those Who Remain won Special Jury Prize Muhr Feature award at the 13th annual Dubai film festival.<ref>“DIFF Awards 2016.” Dubai Film Fest, dubaifilmfest.com/en/page/387/muhr_awards_2016.html.</ref>
== Reception ==
When Sleepless Nights was first screened, it had trouble getting large-scale distribution in Lebanon due to its documentarian nature. Instead the film was screened in three Lebanese theatres through individual efforts on behalf of Raheb and her supporters. A report on the Lebanese TV channel “Future” criticized Sleepless nights calling it a failure for having less than 700 views within one week of it’s release. However, the critique was proven wrong as the film received great reception and was screened on various platforms such as [[Al_Jazeera_Documentary_Channel|Al-Jazeera Documentary]] and [[Al_Jadeed|Al-Jadeed]].<ref>“إليان الراهب ترد على ‘المستقبل’: تقرير تافه وغير دقيق.” Elfann News, Elnashrahttps://Www.elfann.com/Themes/Default/Images/Logo.png, 31 Jan. 2014, www.elfann.com/news/show/1074832/%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%A8-%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%AF-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84:-%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%87-%D9%88%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AF%D9%82%D9%8A.</ref>
Moreover, ''Sleepless Nights'' received a warm reception from critics. Jay Weissberg, writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', said, "It's hard to find a Lebanese film that doesn’t focus on the bloody [[civil war]]. And yet it is even harder to find a film that treats this topic better than Sleepless Nights."<ref name=":3" />
[[Viola Shafik]], author of ''Arab Cinema: History and Cultural Identity'', referred to Raheb's association Beirut DC as a "backbone of Lebanese alternative film art".<ref name=":2" />
Raheb said: “ When a film is released, it is no longer mine, it becomes the peoples’. They mights hate it or love it, but what is important is that it stirs up a storm of conversation.”<ref>توبي هناء. “إليان الراهب: الموضوعية السينمائية كذبة كبيرة.” صحيفة الخليج, 30 Mar. 2015, www.alkhaleej.ae/alkhaleej/page/5ddb31c4-fbc9-4211-878e-f1782bca4d71.</ref>
==Filmography==
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