honoring aimee boulos
Biography: Marie-Aimee Boulos
Biography: Marie-Aimee Boulos
Biography: Marie-Aimee Boulos
Born in the city of the sun Baalbek on the 30th of October 1933, Marie-Aimee Alouf Boulos was destined to discover and mark the cinema world through many doors.
She holds a DEA (Diplôme d' Etudes Approfondies) in Philosophy from the Faculty of Humanities at University Saint Joseph -Beirut (USJ) .She is the Co-Founder of Institut d'études Scéniques, Audiovisuelles et Cinématographiques (IESAV) that she headed for 15 years; and she is currently its Director Emeritus.
In 2003, she co-founded “la Fondation du Liban Cinema”, a non-governmental organization that plays a powerful role in the Lebanese audiovisual industry, by supporting the development of a competitive Lebanese film industry.
Biography: Marie-Aimee Boulos
Biography: Marie-Aimee Boulos
Her passion for arts drove her to become the Director of Monnot Theater since 1997. In parallel, she is also a former member of the Executive Council of the National Lebanese Committee for the Teaching of Sciences and Culture at UNESCO. Besides, Mrs. Boulos was assigned in many leadership positions as the Co-founder, Secretary General, Director and representative of many entities and committees notably: L’Amicale at Champville School, Theater Maroun Naccache, the Ciné-Club ALDEC, and the video club at IESAV.
Noteworthy to mention that Mrs. Boulos has always been socially engaged, especially as a founding member of the Committee of Friends of IRAP since 1963.
In this context, she was globally recognized for her efforts in the artistic and academic fields, as she received the following renowned decorations: The Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et Lettres from France, and the Officier des Palmes Académiques.
ORGANIZED BY
BEIRUT FILM SOCIETY
Beirut Film Society is a NGO that works along Lebanese filmmakers to support them on different logistic levels, our main working areas are cultural films activities, organizing training on film and media, spreading film culture in rural societies outside the capital Beirut, reaching youth in the rural areas and raise awareness about the power of film in shaping society, and promoting for the Lebanese culture through cinema in the Lebanese diaspora countries. BFS organizes Beirut International Women Film Festival and contributes in the organization of the Lebanese Film Festival in Canada and of NDU International Film Festival, among other film events and productions.
GIRLS FOR CHANGE
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Girls For Change
In its 2nd edition GIRLS FOR CHANGE program continues to be an initiative created and
developed by Beirut Film Society to train Lebanese and Syrian girls between 13 and 18 years old
living in the most vulnerable areas in Lebanon on how to use Audio Visual and Film to seek
change and to express themselves.
The training program, supported by UNICEF, funded by Government of the United States,
covered in its 2nd edition 5 Lebanese regions: Hrar /Akkar, Tripoli /Zgharta, Bourj Hammoud,
Baalbeck, Kesrouan, with more than 120 participants resulting 10 short films written and
directed by the girls under the supervision of BFS team of trainers.
Beirut International Women Film Festival & Beirut International Children and Family Film
Festival will be screening those films as a special program on Thursday, March 12 at Grand
Cinemas- ABC Dbayeh, at 1:00 P.M
NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
As the whole world is dealing with the destructive impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its excessive impact on women in particular, experts have written about the efficacy of the leadership traits exhibited by women. What has been different in women’s leadership?
Most people say that crises expose underlying fragilities and exacerbate existing inequalities. This is true; however let us not forget to mention that in times of crises, true leaders arise. The New York Times mentions that women have scored for approximately 40% of the most successful responses to COVID-19. The study indicates that women-led countries have a six times lower death rate than those led by male counterparts in similar countries. This is an opportunity to take a step back, evaluate things and take into consideration this leadership indicator.
Moreover, when the world was being hit by the most unpredicted Pandemic, women were at the frontlines on all aspects: they were the majority of health care workers, there were also trying to overcome the obstacles at home in trying to manage a remote role, taking care of children involved in homeschooling as well as supporting elderly relatives at increased risk of COVID- 19.
This is how we can unfold from the pandemic in all of its dimensions: by recognizing and admitting that women are not victims of a weak broken world; but the architects of a new better one. While women have been affected by COVID-19, they are also driving the way in “building forward better” and despite the systemic challenges, innovative women are tailoring transformative futures.
As the UN Secretary General points out, “To build forward better, we must live up to our own existing promises of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, to truly level the playing field for the benefit of all... Let’s embrace the transformative leadership we need and shift perspectives to recognize.”
The women of Beirut, as resilient and strong as they are, are fighting on the front rows of all the happenings, offering a lesson to us all, on how to face a pandemic, an economic collapse, and the Beirut blast consequences, and keep working proactively to make change.
At the Beirut International Women Film Festival, we believe in amplifying the voices of women and girls through film by offering a platform to these leaders in order to show their work, to share their plans for the future, and to reflect through the lens and the beauty of the image.
Let us all work towards Women for Change
Let us all work towards Women For leadership
Sam Lahoud
Founder, Chair – Beirut Film Society
Founder, Director – Beirut International Women Film Festival
