French-Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri to appear before army tribunal over award-winning movie

French-Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri to appear before army tribunal over award-winning movie
Filmmaker Kamel El Basha was briefly detained as he landed at Beirut airport and will appear in front of a military tribunal over a film, partly shot in Israel.
2 min read
11 September, 2017
Lebanon has banned the film The Attack due to its Israeli connections [AFP]
French-Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri will stand before a military tribunal on Monday over a controversial movie he directed five-years-ago, which was partly shot in Israel.

Doueiri was detained for several hours after he landed in Beirut airport this weekend, after returning from Venice where his latest movie The Insult picked up an award.

Doueiri had his French and Lebanese passports confiscated by authorities and was told he must appear before a military court this week.

"They held me at the airport for two-and-a-half hours. They released me after confiscating my French and Lebanese passports," Doueiri told AFP.

"I have to appear (Monday) at 9am before a military tribunal for an investigation into the charges," he said.

The charges relate to the 2012 film The Attack, which was shot in Israel and has faced criticism from pro-Palestine activists in Lebanon.

The film was banned in Lebanon in 2013 due to its connections with Israel, with Beirut banning citizens from visiting the country.

The Attack is based on a novel by Yasmina Khadra, about a Palestinian surgeon in Tel Aviv whose wife carries out a suicide bomb attack.

It is still unclear why the director was arrested now and who was behind the legal action.

"I am profoundly hurt. I came back to Lebanon with a prize from Venice. The Lebanese police have authorised the broadcast of my film (The Insult). I have no idea who is responsible for what has happened," Doueiri said.

"We will find out at court who is behind this affair."

Doueiri's The Insult won a prize at Venice Film Festival for Palestinian actor Kamel El Basha's lead role in the film.

Lebanon banned Wonder Woman from being screened this year due to the casting of Gal Gadot as lead actor.