The “Tiro Association for the Arts” and the “Istanbuli Theater” concluded the activities of the 3rd session of the “Lebanon International Theater Festival for Women’s Monodrama”, which took place at the “Lebanese National Free Theater”, in the cities of Tyre and Tripoli.

Plays from Spain, Portugal, Chile, Tunisia, Romania, South Africa and Lebanon were presented in the session, under the slogan “Women are a force for change”.

The festival, which was held as part of the “Tripoli Capital of Arab Culture” activities, was attended by a crowd of parents, students and interested parties. The performances were presented free of charge to the public, who discussed them with artists from different cultures.

On this occasion, the festival management honored the artistic Bendali family, as part of the events in the city of Tripoli, and the actress Julia Kassar, among the events in the city of Tyre.

The Bandali family formed a distinctive phenomenon in Lebanese art, and it emerged in the sixties and seventies of the last century as a band that included 10 artists, who are the sons of the late Edmond Bandali, and several male and female singers such as Dora, and musicians such as Edwar emerged, and the most famous of them is the youngest daughter Remy Bandali, performing the song ” Give us childhood”, which was and still is a cry against war.

Actor and director Kassem Istanbouli, founder of the Lebanese National Theater, said:cultural fields“The festival comes to celebrate the femininity and nun of women, and to show the power of women in the language of adversity theatrically and artistically, saluting women and their struggle in various fields.”

He added, “The continuation of festivals, film screenings, and free training workshops, despite all the crises around us, constitutes an important opportunity for convergence, and an opportunity for the public to learn about different cultures from the world, so that art will always be a right for all, with the insistence of young volunteers to work for the sake of art.”

Prize winners

In the festival’s official competition, Portuguese actress Anna Palma won the “Best Integrated Show” award for her play “Waiting for the Bird.” Actress Marisol Robertson from Chile, along with actress Silvia Relliano from Romania, won the “Best Actress” award. Actress Zelia Lansaba from Spain won the award for “Best Musical Show”, while Lebanese actress Maysan Sharaf El Din won the award for “Best Scenography” for her dance show.

the previous two sessions

The “Lebanon International Theater Festival for Women’s Monodrama” is held annually, to celebrate women and their theatrical and artistic work, and for equality, freedom, social justice and empowerment in society.

The first session of the festival was launched in 2019, and paid tribute to the late actress and director Siham Nasser, with the participation of 8 theatrical performances from Arab and foreign countries. Within the festival, the “Lebanon’s First Theatrical Conference” was held, which raised the issue of the theater crisis in Lebanon, the importance of breaking cultural centralism, the role of theater in awareness and change, and research on the status of theater in terms of writing, directing, acting, and the relationship with the audience, and the role of cultural centers outside the capital.

The second session also started in 2021, and the honor list at that time included Rene Dick, Watfa Hammadi, Fadwa Hashem, Randa Kaadi, and Bernadette Hodeib, with the participation of local, Arab and foreign theatrical performances, which competed within the official competition for awards for best actress, best script, and best scenography. Best Costumes, Best Direction, Best Integrated Work, and the Jury Prize.