The handful of Lebanese companies working in animation have had to come up with enterprising business models in order to be seen. Despite the presence of a pool of talented animators working in creative and commercial projects, there is no Lebanese animation industry per se to speak of. An increase in the number of regional workshops, conferences and competitions on the subject, does however, reflect a gradual, noteworthy shift offering a glimmer of hope for the future. Though commercial output dominates, some animation films have made it to local and international festivals, notably Amin Dora’s “Greyscale”, Ghassan Halwani’s work in “The Lebanese Rocket Society”, Lena Merhej’s work for “The Women of Ain el Helwe” and most recently, “Fouad”, a short animation by Joan Baz and David Habchy, which broached the harrowing subject of the disappeared in Lebanon. “Animation is seen as medium for kids and even ad agencies do not
Nathalie Rosa Bucher is a features writer specialising in arts and culture, human rights and environmental subjects. She has been based in Beirut since 2012.
