To Close Your Eyes And See Fire
Nicola von Leffern, Jakob Carl SauerÖsterreich 2024 / 98 min
Beirut liegt in Schutt und Asche. Doch auch nach der Explosion im Hafen der Stadt, dreht sich die Welt weiter. Nur – wie räumt man […]
Bruno Kreisky Forum im Kino - TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE FIRE - Screening and Panel Discussion am 9. September
Beirut uprising in 2019, the explosion of the port in 2020, dangers for a civil war and the effects of war and conflicts in the neighborhood have all contributed to the chronic political deadlock, economic collapse, and social fragmentation in Lebanon. The film To Close Your Eyes and See Fire by Nicola von Leffern und Jakob Carl Sauer is a cinematic exploration of memory, loss, and resilience in the city of Beirut. Despite all challenges, there has been remarkable creativity, cultural expression, and civic engagement. However, the question remains: who will leave the country and at what cost?
Set against the backdrop of Lebanon’s turbulent recent history and the citizens of Beirut portrayed in the film, Katharina Wagner (ORF) will discuss with Mohanad Hage Ali, esteemed academic and political journalist, the perspectives for Beirut, Lebanon and the region given not only the challenges but also the many voices of those who do not give up striving for peace, justice and a better future.
The Bruno Kreisky Forum for international Dialogue together with Golden Girls Filmproduction and Stadtkino cordially invites you to this filmscreening and the afterward public discussion, followed by a closing reception in the Foyer.
Please note: The film will be in Arabic with English subtitles, the discussion will be held in English.
Mohanad Hage Ali is the Deputy Director for Research at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. An academic and political journalist, he holds a PhD and MSc in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition to his role at Carnegie, Hage Ali teaches political science at Emory University and has lectured at the Lebanese American University. He is the author of Nationalism, Transnationalism, and Political Islam: Hezbollah’s Institutional Identity (2017) and co-editor of A Restless Revival: Political Islam after the 2011 Uprisings.
Moderator:
Katharina Wagner, journalist at the foreign news department of the Austrian Broadcaster ORF. She worked several years as a correspondent for ORF in Paris and Rome and was Bureau Chief of the broadcaster’s office in Istanbul and Tehran until recently.
TO CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SEE FIRE (OmeU)
Welcome Words: Andreas Mailath-Pokorny
Screening and Panel Discussion
9. September 2025 18:00
Tickets
Filme
