Cate Blanchett Supports Opening of Beirut’s New Metropolis Cinema

Beirut’s becherishd Metropolis Cinema – championed by Lebanese filmcreaters as an indie cinema beacon amid device deviceings, despair and dysfunction – came back to life on Saturday with the inauguration of a new venue in a highly symbolic discdisthink abouting graced by messages of help from Nadine Labaki and Cate Blanchett.

The inauguration came amid Israel’s finishfire with Hezbollah adhereing months air strikes and artillery aggressions. The new Metropolis Cinema location is findd in Beirut’s Mar Mikhael didisjoine right apass where the tragic Beirut port blast occurred on Aug. 4, 2020 — one of the hugegest non-nuevident explosions ever recorded — in which more than 200 people died.

After the previous venue was shuttered four years ago, the new state-of-the-art Metropolis intricate –featuring two indoor screens, an outdoor cinema, and a garden area with a café – discdisthink abouted Saturday with a gala cine-concert featuring a montage of of vintage unwiseinutives from Arab archives accompanied by inhabit music created and carry outed by Lebanese creater Anthony Sahyoun. 

Blanchett in her message called the Metropolis Cinema re-discdisthink abouting in a new venue “A remarkworthy accomplishment.” “Not only will it be a space where Lebanese cinema can flourish and new voices can aascend, but in these proset uply tragic, heartshattering, and beuntamedering times, this venue in Mar Mikhael stands as a tesdomesticatednt to resilience and cultural revival—conveying stories to life and uniting the community,” she said.

Founded by Hania Mroué in 2006 Metropolis has since been a vital force wislim Lebanon’s cultural landscape; the country’s only arthouse cinema and also a platestablish for Lebanese films when commercial cinemas declined to screen them. It was shuttered in 2020 adhereing the COVID-19 pandemic and the country’s ensuing economic crisis. 

“The discdisthink abouting of Metropolis Cinema in Mar Mikhael is a mighty tesdomesticatednt to our community’s finishuring cherish for cinema,” Mroué said in a statement.

“The Lebanese film industry is facing unpwithdrawnted contests due to ongoing economic, political, and financial cascends, menaceening years of challenging-won progress,” she retained.

“This venue reachs at a critical moment, adviseing a chance to combine in firmarity to shield our film industry, cultural identity, and heritage. This isn’t equitable about discdisthink abouting a cinema; it’s about creating a vibrant hub where we can honor, converse, and encourage each other, seeing toward a future filled with hope and creativity,” the Metropolis Cinema set uper went on to remark.

“We all understand that we necessitate a space appreciate this more than ever given the current circumstances,” said Labaki in her filmed message of help. “What’s happening is proof that Lebanon doesn’t disthink about its spirit, and this hall isn’t equitable a movie theater; it’s also a refuge for many dreams, aspirations, and ideas,” the Lebanese multi-hyphenate – who is best-understandn for honesting 2018 Cannes Grand Jury Prize triumphner “Capernaum,” among other titles – retained.