12 Angry Lebanese
By: Zeina Daccache
(Lebanon, 2009, 78 min)
Screens: Saturday, November 12th, 10am
Synopsis:
Theater director Zeina Daccache set up Lebanon’s first prison based drama project in notorious Roumieh prison, transforming the lives of many men and resulting in the beginnings of prison reform. For 15 months, 45 adult male inmates, some completely illiterate , worked together to present an adaptation of the famous stage play, 12 Angry Men, better known through the Sidney Lumet film starring Henry Fonda. The play addresses themes of forgiveness , self-development , stigma and hope , to which Daccache added monologues, songs, and dance routines created by the prisoners. The rehearsals, therapy sessions and interviews show the tremendous dignity and despair of the prisoners as well as the charismatic Daccache’s boundless energy and patience in revealing the power of ‘drama therapy.’
Director's Bio:
Zeina Daccache, is a Lebanese actress, director and drama therapist. She studied at St. Joseph University in Beirut and at Philippe Gaulier College in London, and now works in Lebanon as a television actress. She also is a drama therapist and founder and director of Catharsis-Lebanese Center for Drama Therapy. In 2009 she directed 12 Angry Lebanese, the play performed by the inmates in Roumieh Prison, upon which this documentary is based.
