Maroun Bagdadi, a renowned Lebanese film director, was born on January 21, 1950, and passed away on December 11, 1993. He is widely recognized for his captivating depiction of Lebanon's civil war, earning him international acclaim as the most prominent Lebanese filmmaker of his generation.
Bagdadi's association with American producer/director Francis Coppola and his production of several French-language films, which became box office hits in France, further solidified his reputation as a talented filmmaker.
Arguably, Maroun Bagdadi was Lebanon's most outstanding filmmaker, whose work resonated globally. One of his most acclaimed films, Houroub Saghira (Little Wars),premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, garnering praise from a prominent film critic who noted: "To create a film about Beirut that shuns polemics for more universal, more human issues is a remarkable achievement."
Bagdadi's filmmaking journey began with a television educational program, 7½, followed by his first feature film, Beyrouth Ya Beyrouth, in 1975. His 1979 documentary, Koullouna Lil Watan, a 75-minute production, won the Jury Honor Prize at the International Leipzig Festival Documentary and Animated Film.
