Hania Mroué is the Founder and Director of Metropolis Art Cinema, the first art-house cinema in Lebanon, which opened in 2006 and aims to support regional and international productions by presenting audiences with alternative cinema, including recent independent titles, cult films, creative documentaries, and experimental videos. In 2009 Hania started MC Distribution, a distribution company specialised in Arab independent titles, and she is also a founding member of Beirut DC, the Cultural Association for Cinema production created in 1998, which aims at producing and promoting independent Arab cinema, creating a network for communication and collaboration between Arab filmmakers and establishing a media library specialised in housing archives of independent Arab works. In addition, Hania is the Managing Director of Ayam Beirut al Cinema’iya (or Cinema Days of Beirut), a bi-annual Arab Film Festival initiated and organised by Beirut DC that promotes recent independent Arab productions, and is Chief Arab Programmer for DFI.

DFI: From an economics student and professional dancer to running Metropolis and becoming a programmer for DFI: that’s quite a variety of talent! How did you end up getting into film?
Hania: By chance! I never planned any moves from one field to another, but fortunately my life has been very unpredictable and full of surprises. From the beginning the only thing I knew for sure was that I have an incredible passion for art in general. I started performing as a dancer when I was 14, joining a professional dance company at 18. It was a huge challenge, but a very enriching experience! The 13 years I spent with the Caracalla Dance Company opened my eyes to a new world, and I learned so much more than just dancing techniques and choreography. I became interested in theatre productions and then cinema productions, which took me back to university to study film.

In university some friends and I decided to start our own cooperative for independent cinema, which we called Beirut DC (as in the development of cinema). We soon realised the need to link our initiative to similar experiences in the Arab world, and to start networking with independent filmmakers that were working under the same constraints and challenges. That’s where the idea of Ayam Beirut Al Cinema’iya came from in 2000. It was the first Arab film festival in the whole region to celebrate Arab cinema, providing a platform for Arab filmmakers to meet, network, collaborate and brainstorm together.

A few years later, I felt the need to start something that would be dedicated year round to auteur films from all eras, genres and tendencies, from every corner of the globe. After months of preparation and the search for funding, Metropolis was opened in 2006 one day before the Israeli war on Lebanon. The circumstances in which this cinema was born were particularly difficult, and the context extremely unstable. In the last five years, however, it has managed to create a real audience for Arab and international movies, and to become a unique location in Beirut.

As a Director of both Ayam Beirut and Metropolis, I have had the chance to discover some rare jewels from cinematic history, as well as some contemporary directors whose films have changed my life. I have also had the opportunity to meet filmmakers and industry people from all over the Arab world. That is what brought me to Doha as a DFI Programmer: I know the challenges of making a movie in the Arab world, but I also believe in the immense potential that is there. I guess my role is to help support the emerging talents in the Arab world, but also to raise curiosity towards Arab independent films within our region.

DFI: How different is independent cinema to what we watch in movie theatres? And what is their importance in the Middle East?
Hania: “Independent” is a tricky word; it is meant to describe films that exist on the margin of the market system and its predefined codes. But “independent” also means films that are produced regardless of profit making targets; films that are more authentic, sincere and human in their storytelling, more artistic and creative in their approaches. They are not meant to impress the audience with their special effects and huge budgets (with big decors, costumes and expensive car crashes) but rather surprise the audience with their creativity and originality, and speak to people’s hearts and minds. They ask important questions and raise sensitive issues, and often leave us even more curious, searching for answers. In the Middle East we need to encourage personal stories, such as those who speak a universal language because of their uniqueness and genuineness.

DFI: How do you see independent cinema developing through the years?
Hania: Positively! I think people are starting to get bored of the same stories being told repeatedly over and over. They need new voices and new cinematic approaches. Festivals in the region are encouraging young talents to emerge, and established talents to be recognised. Film funds are an important factor in developing independent cinema, and education programs are even more important as they provide young generations with the courage and the tools to express themselves and develop their skills; to basically shape their own artistic identity.

DFI: As a programmer yourself, can you explain what a programmer is, and what steps are required to fill this role?
Hania: To be a programmer you have to love films! You also need to enjoy sharing those films with audiences, listen to people’s reactions, and engage in discussions and Q&A’s. You need to support filmmakers and defend them where necessary, while also daring to present your audience with new genres, new formats and new ideas. With each screening you learn something new about the film, the audience, yourself and your choices. I think the first step to becoming a programmer is to love cinema in all its diversity, but you must also be ready to challenge yourself constantly. One of my favourite quotations from cinema is Robert Bresson’s famous book, ‘Notes Sur Le Cinematographe’ (‘Notes on the Cinematographer’): “When the audience is ready to feel before understanding, films will reveal everything to them.” I learned a lot from this quote.

Hania Mroué, Chief Arab Programmer for DFI

DFI: As Chief Arab Programmer for DFI, what criteria do you look for in films that are selected for the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF)?
Hania: There are more and more films produced every year, and the choice is overwhelming. We’re continuously looking for films that are different, sincere, and daring, whether through their subject, storytelling, or cinematic approach… films that are searching for their own artistic voice. There are so many films that are well made and technically very strong. Very few are also unexpectedly charming.

DFI: What are the main challenges you face in putting together a festival, and what are the best means of development?
Hania: The main challenge is always the audience, whether it is the community in Qatar, the film critics, the industry people, or the invited guests. What they expect, how we can bring them the best, how we can avoid making artistic compromises, what would be acceptable and what would be considered too experimental – these are all questions we take into consideration when planning something of this calibre. By programming a festival, you develop with your audience. The more demanding they become, the more you are challenged in surprising them.

DFI: How do you see DTFF evolving, and what can we expect in the coming years?
Hania: DTFF has already made huge steps since its inception. It’s becoming one of the major festivals in the region, attracting more and more attention from industry people around the world. Within the coming years, I believe this festival will continue the development of a real cinema culture in Qatar, especially among the youth.

DFI: The Middle East has been witnessing major political changes. In your opinion, how does this affect cinema in the region?
Hania: In my opinion it is too early to tell. The Arab world is currently in a huge transitional phase that will affect the history of the region. There’s a lot of hope, but also fear and anxiety about the future. There’s a strong will among the younger generation to move towards a brighter future, but there are also big challenges awaiting them. At this point in time, filmmakers are filming in an attempt to understand this change; to capture the images on their cameras and in their memories. Reality now is so much bigger than fiction, and bigger than what any one documentary can tell you. It will take years before this political change affects cinema production in our region, and before our filmmakers realise the change that they have witnessed or the changes they have achieved.

DFI: What do you feel is the importance of film festivals, and how valuable is it for the community to be actively involved?
Hania: A film festival is a very important market for industry people to meet, exchange ideas and network in general, but it’s also a celebration of cinema for cinema lovers and the whole community. Without the engagement of the community you cannot celebrate! Family days are also very significant, as they engage younger generations in this celebration as well.

DFI: What is your favourite film and why?
Hania: I have several favourite films! For me, a favourite film must be one that stays with me long time after the screening in over. Lately, Parajanov’s ‘Les Chevaux de Feu’ (‘Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors’) has been haunting my dreams.

DFI: What would you like to say to young filmmakers?
Hania: Wherever you are and whatever your project is; whether you think it’s a great film that will change the world of cinema, or a small experiment that you did for your own pleasure, it’s worth sharing! Send us your films, we would love to see them!