كلمة المخرج

Growing up in Beirut at the end of the civil war and the years after, I have experienced the roller coaster that the Lebanese society went through. Unfortunately, the war never really ended, and instead, a cease-fire was put in place, and the same militiamen and parties turned to politics. It became a new warfare of politics and corruption where the fight is focused on economic profit and dividing the bounty.

With continued local and regional political turmoil, and after almost 20 years of looting, the country has been stripped bare. For the past few months, Lebanon has been going through a huge economic crisis plunging families into destitution. All of this has pushed almost a quarter of the population to leave the country since the mid-90s with dreams of a better life. I myself lived this first-hand when I traveled abroad to complete my studies.

While some choose to stay abroad, many come back for different reasons. Sometimes it is by choice, because we have this deep attachment to the country, other times it is simply because we find out—the hard way—that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Out of options, we come back lost and broken, and that is exactly the situation that Jana tries to survive.

In Harvest, we follow Jana’s first few days as she returns home after years of struggling to enjoy a fulfilled life in Paris. Through her, we draw a portrait of youth; of a generation; and ultimately, the tale of Beirut.

ملاحظة المنتج

I discovered the cinematic world of Ely Dagher during the Beirut Co-production Platform in 2017. While discussing his project, Harvest, I felt this kind of obvious connection that all producers dream of.

Ely has an extremely rich universe, and Harvest depicts all of it: a poetic vision of Beirut, a musical vibration, and the desire to take the audience on a deep emotional journey in the same way he does with his characters.

I particularly appreciate the fact that Ely chose to reinvent himself in his first feature. Harvest won’t be an animated film, and the goal is great with this story of a young female character, Jana, played by the amazing Manal Issa. At the same time, Ely manages to preserve his style and vision that shone in his short, Waves ’98, which was awarded the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the 68th Cannes Film Festival.

We shot the film in January-February of 2020 in Beirut, in the midst of the Lebanese revolution, with people protesting in the streets with hopes of a better future. We witnessed a youth despairing of its past, but hopeful for the days to come. It's the exact mix that Ely wants to show in his film. A vision between dream and reality, the past and the present.

The rushes proved, once again, that Harvest is a very strong cinematic proposal. I’m truly confident of the final result, and looking forward to financing the post-production, helping the film to reach its full potential.

فيلموغرافيا المنتج

Andolfi

2019: You Will Die at Twenty

2018: I See Red People

2017: Amal

2017: Lindy Lou, Juror Number 2

2015: Go, Toto!

2015: Félicité

2015: The Graduation

2014: Kommunisten

2013: Under the Starry Sky

2013: Bloody Beans

Abbout Productions

2018: 1982

2018: All This Victory

2018: One of These Days

2017: A Certain Nasser

2017: Amal

2016: Panoptic

2016: Tramontane

2015: Dégradé

2015: A Time to Rest

2014: The Valley

2013: Ladder to Damascus

2012: The Lebanese Rocket Society

2011: Sector Zero

2010: Stray Bullet

2008: I Want to See

2005: A Perfect Day

 Wrong Men

2018: The Hole in the Ground

2017: Good Favor