Latest news with #Bazzi
Nahar Net
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Nahar Net
War takes center stage as Lebanon's theaters are back
by Naharnet Newsdesk 22 May 2025, 14:26 As Lebanon suffered a war last year, Ali Chahrour was determined to keep making art, creating a performance inspired by the plight of migrant workers caught up in the conflict. Months after a ceasefire largely halted the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, Chahrour's work premiered in Beirut in early May with plans to take it to stages across Europe including at France's famed Avignon Festival. "This project was born during the war," said the 35-year-old playwright and choreographer. "I did not want to stop making theatre, because I don't know how to fight or carry weapons, I only know how to dance." On stage, two Ethiopian domestic workers and a Lebanese Ethiopian woman speak, sing and dance, telling stories of exile and mistreatment in "When I Saw the Sea", directed by Chahrour. The play pays tribute to the migrant women who were killed or displaced during the two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah which ended in November, and the year of hostilities that preceded it. Hundreds of migrant workers had sought refuge in NGO-run shelters after being abandoned by employers escaping Israeli bombardment. Others were left homeless in the streets of Beirut while Lebanon's south and east, as well as parts of the capital, were under attack. Chahrour said that "meeting with these women gave me the strength and energy to keep going" even during the war, seeking to shed light on their experience in Lebanon which is often criticized for its poor treatment of migrant workers. - 'Escape and therapy' - The war has also shaped Fatima Bazzi's latest work, "Suffocated", which was shown in Beirut in May. It was revised after the 32-year-old playwright was displaced from her home in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily bombarded during the war. The play originally portrayed a woman dealing with her misogynistic husband, and was reshaped by Bazzi's own experience, forced to escape to Iraq until the ceasefire was finally reached. Determined to continue the project the moment she returned to Lebanon, Bazzi had kept in contact with the cast in video calls. "We took advantage of this in the performance, the idea of separation and distance from each other, how we worked to continue the play," she told AFP during a recent rehearsal. At one point in the play, the characters are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bomb and rush to their phones to see what was hit this time, with their reactions becoming scenes of their own. To Bazzi, working on the play has allowed her and the cast to "express the things we felt and went through, serving as an escape and therapy". - 'Children of war' - Theater stages across Lebanon did not lift their curtains during the war, and though they are now back, the local scene is still burdened by the effects of a devastating economic crisis since 2019. "We postponed an entire festival at the end of last year due to the war," said Omar Abi Azar, 41, founder of the Zoukak collective. The group runs the theater where Bazzi's latest piece was performed. "Now we have started to pick up the pace" again, said Abi Azar, whose own play was postponed by the war. "Stop Calling Beirut", which Abi Azar created with his collective, tells the story of the loss of his brother more than a decade ago and their childhood memories during Lebanon's civil war, which ended in 1990. Zoukak itself was born out of a crisis during a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. "We are children of war. We were born, raised and grew up in the heart of these crises," said Abi Azar. To him, "this is not a challenge, but rather our reality". "If this reality wanted to pull us down, it would have dragged us, buried us and killed us a long time ago," he added, seeking hope in art.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
War takes centre stage as Lebanon's theatres are back
As Lebanon suffered a war last year, Ali Chahrour was determined to keep making art, creating a performance inspired by the plight of migrant workers caught up in the conflict. Months after a ceasefire largely halted the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Chahrour's work premiered in Beirut in early May with plans to take it to stages across Europe including at France's famed Avignon Festival. "This project was born during the war," said the 35-year-old playwright and choreographer. "I did not want to stop making theatre, because I don't know how to fight or carry weapons, I only know how to dance." On stage, two Ethiopian domestic workers and a Lebanese Ethiopian woman speak, sing and dance, telling stories of exile and mistreatment in When I Saw The Sea, directed by Chahrour. The play pays tribute to the migrant women who were killed or displaced during the two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah which ended in November, and the year of hostilities that preceded it. Hundreds of migrant workers had sought refuge in NGO-run shelters after being abandoned by employers escaping Israeli bombardment. Others were left homeless in the streets of Beirut while Lebanon's south and east, as well as parts of the capital, were under attack. Chahrour said that "meeting with these women gave me the strength and energy to keep going" even during the war, seeking to shed light on their experience in Lebanon which is often criticised for its poor treatment of migrant workers. 'Escape and therapy' The war has also shaped Fatima Bazzi's latest work, Suffocated, which was shown in Beirut in May. It was revised after the 32-year-old playwright was displaced from her home in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily bombarded during the war. The play originally portrayed a woman dealing with her misogynistic husband, and was reshaped by Bazzi's own experience, forced to escape to Iraq until the ceasefire was finally reached. Determined to continue the project the moment she returned to Lebanon, Bazzi had kept in contact with the cast in video calls. "We took advantage of this in the performance, the idea of separation and distance from each other, how we worked to continue the play," she said during a recent rehearsal. At one point in the play, the characters are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bomb and rush to their phones to see what was hit this time, with their reactions becoming scenes of their own. To Bazzi, working on the play has allowed her and the cast to "express the things we felt and went through, serving as an escape and therapy". 'Children of war' Theatre stages across Lebanon did not lift their curtains during the war, and though they are now back, the local scene is still burdened by the effects of a devastating economic crisis since 2019. "We postponed an entire festival at the end of last year due to the war," said Omar Abi Azar, 41, founder of the Zoukak collective. The group runs the theatre where Bazzi's latest piece was performed. "Now we have started to pick up the pace" again, said Abi Azar, whose own play was postponed by the war. Stop Calling Beirut, which Abi Azar created with his collective, tells the story of the loss of his brother more than a decade ago and their childhood memories during Lebanon's civil war, which ended in 1990. Zoukak itself was born out of a crisis during a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. "We are children of war. We were born, raised and grew up in the heart of these crises," said Abi Azar. To him, "this is not a challenge, but rather our reality". "If this reality wanted to pull us down, it would have dragged us, buried us and killed us a long time ago," he added, seeking hope in art. - AFP
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
War takes centre stage as Lebanon's theatres are back
As Lebanon suffered a war last year, Ali Chahrour was determined to keep making art, creating a performance inspired by the plight of migrant workers caught up in the conflict. Months after a ceasefire largely halted the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Chahrour's work premiered in Beirut in early May with plans to take it to stages across Europe including at France's famed Avignon Festival. "This project was born during the war," said the 35-year-old playwright and choreographer. "I did not want to stop making theatre, because I don't know how to fight or carry weapons, I only know how to dance." On stage, two Ethiopian domestic workers and a Lebanese Ethiopian woman speak, sing and dance, telling stories of exile and mistreatment in "When I Saw the Sea", directed by Chahrour. The play pays tribute to the migrant women who were killed or displaced during the two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah which ended in November, and the year of hostilities that preceded it. Hundreds of migrant workers had sought refuge in NGO-run shelters after being abandoned by employers escaping Israeli bombardment. Others were left homeless in the streets of Beirut while Lebanon's south and east, as well as parts of the capital, were under attack. Chahrour said that "meeting with these women gave me the strength and energy to keep going" even during the war, seeking to shed light on their experience in Lebanon which is often criticised for its poor treatment of migrant workers. - 'Escape and therapy' - The war has also shaped Fatima Bazzi's latest work, "Suffocated", which was shown in Beirut in May. It was revised after the 32-year-old playwright was displaced from her home in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily bombarded during the war. The play originally portrayed a woman dealing with her misogynistic husband, and was reshaped by Bazzi's own experience, forced to escape to Iraq until the ceasefire was finally reached. Determined to continue the project the moment she returned to Lebanon, Bazzi had kept in contact with the cast in video calls. "We took advantage of this in the performance, the idea of separation and distance from each other, how we worked to continue the play," she told AFP during a recent rehearsal. At one point in the play, the characters are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bomb and rush to their phones to see what was hit this time, with their reactions becoming scenes of their own. To Bazzi, working on the play has allowed her and the cast to "express the things we felt and went through, serving as an escape and therapy". - 'Children of war' - Theatre stages across Lebanon did not lift their curtains during the war, and though they are now back, the local scene is still burdened by the effects of a devastating economic crisis since 2019. "We postponed an entire festival at the end of last year due to the war," said Omar Abi Azar, 41, founder of the Zoukak collective. The group runs the theatre where Bazzi's latest piece was performed. "Now we have started to pick up the pace" again, said Abi Azar, whose own play was postponed by the war. "Stop Calling Beirut", which Abi Azar created with his collective, tells the story of the loss of his brother more than a decade ago and their childhood memories during Lebanon's civil war, which ended in 1990. Zoukak itself was born out of a crisis during a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. "We are children of war. We were born, raised and grew up in the heart of these crises," said Abi Azar. To him, "this is not a challenge, but rather our reality". "If this reality wanted to pull us down, it would have dragged us, buried us and killed us a long time ago," he added, seeking hope in art. lk/nad/ami/rsc
France 24
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
War takes centre stage as Lebanon's theatres are back
Months after a ceasefire largely halted the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Chahrour's work premiered in Beirut in early May with plans to take it to stages across Europe including at France's famed Avignon Festival. "This project was born during the war," said the 35-year-old playwright and choreographer. "I did not want to stop making theatre, because I don't know how to fight or carry weapons, I only know how to dance." On stage, two Ethiopian domestic workers and a Lebanese Ethiopian woman speak, sing and dance, telling stories of exile and mistreatment in "When I Saw the Sea", directed by Chahrour. The play pays tribute to the migrant women who were killed or displaced during the two-month war between Israel and Hezbollah which ended in November, and the year of hostilities that preceded it. Hundreds of migrant workers had sought refuge in NGO-run shelters after being abandoned by employers escaping Israeli bombardment. Others were left homeless in the streets of Beirut while Lebanon's south and east, as well as parts of the capital, were under attack. Chahrour said that "meeting with these women gave me the strength and energy to keep going" even during the war, seeking to shed light on their experience in Lebanon which is often criticised for its poor treatment of migrant workers. 'Escape and therapy' The war has also shaped Fatima Bazzi's latest work, "Suffocated", which was shown in Beirut in May. It was revised after the 32-year-old playwright was displaced from her home in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold heavily bombarded during the war. The play originally portrayed a woman dealing with her misogynistic husband, and was reshaped by Bazzi's own experience, forced to escape to Iraq until the ceasefire was finally reached. Determined to continue the project the moment she returned to Lebanon, Bazzi had kept in contact with the cast in video calls. "We took advantage of this in the performance, the idea of separation and distance from each other, how we worked to continue the play," she told AFP during a recent rehearsal. At one point in the play, the characters are suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bomb and rush to their phones to see what was hit this time, with their reactions becoming scenes of their own. To Bazzi, working on the play has allowed her and the cast to "express the things we felt and went through, serving as an escape and therapy". 'Children of war' Theatre stages across Lebanon did not lift their curtains during the war, and though they are now back, the local scene is still burdened by the effects of a devastating economic crisis since 2019. "We postponed an entire festival at the end of last year due to the war," said Omar Abi Azar, 41, founder of the Zoukak collective. The group runs the theatre where Bazzi's latest piece was performed. "Now we have started to pick up the pace" again, said Abi Azar, whose own play was postponed by the war. "Stop Calling Beirut", which Abi Azar created with his collective, tells the story of the loss of his brother more than a decade ago and their childhood memories during Lebanon's civil war, which ended in 1990. Zoukak itself was born out of a crisis during a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. "We are children of war. We were born, raised and grew up in the heart of these crises," said Abi Azar. To him, "this is not a challenge, but rather our reality".
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New appointments made in Michigan Supreme Court, Court of Appeals
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed new judges to the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Court of Appeals. The new appointments included Judge Noah Hood to the Michigan Supreme Court; Judge Mariam Bazzi to the Michigan Court of Appeals, First District; Christopher Trebilcock to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Second District; and Daniel Korobkin to the Michigan Court of Appeals, Third District. 'These Michiganders all bring years of legal experience to their roles, and I am confident they will uphold the rule of law and serve the people admirably,' said Gov. Whitmer in a news release sent to 6 News. Judge Noah Hood currently serves in the Michigan First District Court of Appeals. He was first appointed to the Third Circuit Court by Governor Whitmer in 2019 and again to the Court of Appeals in 2022. The Office of the Governor says Hood served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Michigan and the Northern District of Ohio before his appointments to the bench. Hood is a member of the Michigan Court of Appeals Rules Committee, Education Committee, and AI Working Group. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and holds a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Yale. 'I am deeply grateful to our Governor for her decision to appoint me to serve on our Supreme Court. I am also grateful for what it represents. For as long as I serve, the people will always be able to count on me for even-handed justice,' said Hood in a news release sent to 6 News. His appointment will fill a partial term following the resignation of Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement. Judge Mariam Bazzi currently serves on the Third Circuit Court in Wayne County. She has been re-elected twice since being appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2017. The Office of the Governor says Bazzi serves on the board of Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities. She is also a member of multiple state and national legal associations, including the Detroit Bar Association, the Michigan Judges Association, the National Association of Women Judges, the National Arab American Bar Association, and the National Association of Muslim Lawyers. Bazzi previously served as a member of the Michigan Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs and as the President of the Dearborn Board of Education. Judge Mariam Bazzi earned her law degree from Wayne State University Law School and holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Michigan, Dearborn. 'I extend my heartfelt thanks to the Governor and her dedicated selection team for their time, effort, and commitment throughout this process. It is a profound privilege to serve the people of this great state, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the fair and impartial administration of justice. I also extend my warmest congratulations to our new Supreme Court Justice and to my fellow appointees to the Court of Appeals,' said Bazzi in a news release sent to 6 News. Bazzi will fill a partial term after Judge Noah Hood was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court. Judge Christopher Trebilcock is a senior principal at Clark Hill, PLC, working in employment litigation, administrative litigation, traditional labor law, and election law. Before joining Clark Hill in 2018, Trebilcock practiced law at Miller Canfield for over 10 years. The Office of the Governor says Judge Trebilcock is a member of the American Bar Association's Developing Labor Law Committee and the Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee. Trebilcock is the first Court of Appeals appointee born and raised in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He earned his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and business administration from Alma College. 'I am humbled by this opportunity and the trust placed by Governor Whitmer in my ability to serve the people of Michigan. I also want to thank my colleagues at Clark Hill for their unwavering support, mentorship, and friendship. I look forward to getting to work and serving the state that raised me and shaped my values,' said Trebilcock in a news release sent to 6 News. This appointment will fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Mark Cavanagh. Judge Daniel Korobkin currently serves as the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. Korobkin also serves as a co-chair of the Michigan State Bar's Access to Justice Policy Committee and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan's representative assembly. Korobkin is a member of the Detroit Bar Association, the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan, the American Constitution Society, and the National Lawyers Guild. He teaches part-time at the University of Michigan Law School and volunteers as a judge for moot court competitions and first-year legal practice classes at the University of Michigan Law School and Wayne State University Law School. Judge Korobkin earned his law degree from Yale Law School, where he worked as a research assistant and teaching assistant through the law school's Coker Fellowship. Korobkin also holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Swarthmore College. 'I am immensely grateful to Governor Whitmer for this appointment, and I look forward to serving the people of the State of Michigan on the Court of Appeals,' said Korobkin in a news release sent to 6 News. This appointment will be made to fill a partial term following the resignation of Judge Jane Markey. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. 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