The Culturist Film Club x Vinyl Souk Present: We Loved Each Other So MUCh
The Culturist Film Club is partnering with Vinyl Souk to present and screen We Loved Each Other So Much, a film from 2003 directed by Jack Janssen.
Vinyl Souk is a UAE-based community platform for alternative music, vinyl culture and independent creative exchange and we’ve been in discussions for a while to partner on film related events, and I hope this will be the first of more events.
Date: Sunday, November 8 at 3:00pm
Ticket: AED 35 (AED 25 free for Alliance Française members). Book your ticket here.
Location: Alliance Française, Dubai (location map)
The Culturist Film Club and Vinyl Souk present…
WE LOVED EACH OTHER SO MUCH
Jack Janssen, 2003, 80 min, Arabic with English subtitles
We Loved Each Other So Much portrays the love of diverse Beirut inhabitants for Fairuz. Through the music, and the myths that grew around Fairuz, they tell their life stories, and narrate the tragic, stirring history of their city. Their reminiscences, combined with Fairuz's songs and her story, provide a moving commentary on Lebanon's tumultuous history, traces of which are still visible in Beirut's devastated cityscape and bullet-scared building.
Today Fairuz is a cultural phenomenon whose appeal has spread far beyond the Arab world. Offering viewers a revealing and captivating introduction to this singer, and her place in Lebanese history and culture, the film also powerfully shows how music and the emotions it stirs can transcend political and religious differences.
"Offers many wonderful moments, both light and intense. Fairuz's songs seem to make the difficult situation of the Middle East easier for everyone." —Al Jadid: A Review & Record of Arab Culture and Arts
"A touching portrait of life in post-war Beirut.” —Peter Speetjens, The Daily Star
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the audience.
This screening is courtesy of Pieter van Huystee Film.
About:
Jack Janssen is an internationally acclaimed documentary film director based in Amsterdam. His films show a clash between ideal and reality. The characters deal with a world that doesn’t fit their ideals or identity and in the resulting conflict, reveal their inner selves. The films’ narrative style communicates implicitly, while taking viewers on a visual quest for the script hidden in reality. Several of his films have been screened worldwide in festivals like The Margaret Mead Documentary Festival in New York, Visions du Reel in Nyon and Hot Docs in Toronto.
The Culturist FIlm Club is dedicated to hosting a variety of contemporary and classic cinema in cultural venues across Dubai. Each event includes a film introduction and post screening discussions with audience members, and occasionally with an invited guest speaker, to discuss and contextualise the themes of the films and learn more about the filmmakers. The screenings are curated, introduced and moderated by artist, film curator and writer Hind Mezaina. The film club was launched in 2022 and is an offshoot of her arts and culture blog theculturist.com which she started in 2009.
Vinyl Souk is a UAE-based community platform for alternative music, vinyl culture and independent creative exchange. Founded in 2023, it champions music discovery and independent voices through curated events, releases, learning experiences and community-led programming across the UAE and the wider region. Its initiatives include Vinyl Souk Records, Vinyl Souk Lab, Vinyl Souk Sessions and the twice-yearly Vinyl Souk Mini Festival, bringing together artists, selectors, listeners and creative communities while documenting and supporting the region’s evolving independent music landscape.