A Conversation About Cinema in Lebanese Arabic

Hello! It’s our artistic lesson, and because you’ve asked for a regular daily conversation in Arabic, my precious friend Fouad and I are doing one. I will be interviewing him, and he will tell us about Lebanese cinema and his top 10 favorite foreign films.

(Note: The opinions expressed by Fouad are his own.)

Full Conversation (Latin Transcription)

Fouad: Hiba haydeh risheh. W iza baddik tfaddaleh.
Hiba: Merci Fouad. Hello. It’s our artistic lesson and because you’ve asked for a regular daily conversation in Arabic, me and my precious friend Fouad, we are doing one. I will be interviewing him. This is my artistic work and he will tell you about his one.
Hiba: Okay Fouad raH neHkeh bil 3arabeh.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: 3an shou 3abelak tkhabberna lyom?
Fouad: halla’ raH neHkeh 3an l cinema l lebneniyyeh shway, w ba3dein raH khaberkoun 3an ahamm afleim bil nisbeh la eleh l ajnabiyyeh.
Hiba: Okay, but just one thing that the opinions that Fouad is saying, ana ma khasneh. Never related to me. It’s not related. Okay, I have my own opinion.
Fouad: Okay. Eh, shou raH ballish shway 3an l cinema l lebneniyyeh.
Hiba: Yes, 3an l cinema l lebneniyyeh.
Fouad: Hiyyeh l cinema l lebneniyyeh b mokhtasar heik sghir, ballashit mawadi3a 3an l Harb, w aktar mawadi3 l afleim l lebneniyyeh keinit 3an l Harb wl mousalsaleit Hatta, w fi ktir exampleit ma3ayeneh 3an haydol l afleim, mitil Zozo lli kein huwweh enteij lebneneh-ajnabeh, kein fi West Beirut ‘aw Beirut l shar’iyyeh.
Hiba: “Ya Wleid” kein ‘esmo.
Fouad: Eh, “Ya Wleid”?.
Hiba: La’ yemkin haydak gheir waHad.
Fouad: Tayyeb eh.
Hiba: West Beirut.
Fouad: West Beirut. W fi “halla’ la wein?” lli huwweh, the most recently, min ekhir l afleim l lebneniyyeh lli n3aradit bil saleit, w huwweh min ekhraj Nadine Labaki, w Nadine Labaki mokhrijeh ktir ma3roufeh 3enna b lebnen w 3am tin3araf barra. W 3enda hiyyeh “Caramel” w 3enda “halla’ la wein?” lli huwweh…
Hiba: “Sikkar Banet”.
Fouad: “Sikkar Banet”, Caramel = “Sikkar Banet”. w “halla’ La Wein?” lli nezil mou’akharan.
Hiba: Okay, bas l afleim yalli ‘ata3it abel, Zozo nsit la min sorry.
Fouad: Eh, Zozo la….
Hiba: Okay, bas West Beirut huwweh la Ziad Doueiri. W 3ando Lila dit ça, ana bHeb….
Fouad: Lila dit ça.
Hiba: Okay, Tayyeb.
Fouad: W bas ya3neh heik b shakel 3am, ye3ne b shakel 3am.
Hiba: Okay, halla’ Fouad enta ktir bteHb l cinema saH? Enta moula3 bil cinema metel ma mnshouf b ‘oudto la Fouad ye3neh 3ando kaza film. Tayyeb w 3a belak lyom tkhabberna 3an l Top 10 ma heik? 3an afdal 3asher afleim bil nisbeh la ilak.
Fouad: SaHiH, raH khabirkoun 3an afDal 3asher afleim bil nisbeh la ileh.
Hiba: Film ra’em waHad.
Fouad: Aw mnebda men ra’em 3ashra mishein na3mil suspense.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Okay, film ra’em 3ashra.
Fouad: Huwweh Bitter Moon.
Hiba: Bitter Moon.
Fouad: Bitter Moon, iza badna ntarjmo lal 3arabeh, ya3neh l amar l murr.
Hiba: Okay. L… ?
Fouad: La Roman Polanski.
Hiba: huwweh biHeb yfarjina shou l afleim yalleh 3endo. Bitter Moon. original?
Hiba: Original?
Fouad: Eh, ma hon b lebnen ma fina ella ma ykoun 3anna yeh original.
Hiba: 3am bikazzib, he is lying.
Fouad: Okay.
Fouad: Eh, my number nine. Huwweh La Sconosciuta.
Hiba: La Sconosciuta.
Fouad: La Sconosciuta, huwweh film Italeh.
Hiba: An Italian movie.
Fouad: min ekhraj Tornatore.
Fouad: Kamen original Hiba.
Hiba: Kamen original.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: NeHna min wein minjib l DVDs aktar shi hon b lebnen?
Fouad: halla’ aktar maHal ma3rouf hon b lebnen huwweh Virgin, lli huwweh fi ta’riban wein ma kein bil 3alam.
Hiba: Okay, Virgin Megastore.
Fouad: Virgin Megastore.
Hiba: Bas fi kamen locals.
Fouad: Eh, fi locals DVD stores w heik ya3neh fi.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Okay. number 8. Ra’em tmeneh. Dogville.
Hiba: Dogville.
Fouad: By Lars Von Trier.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Dogville ma fina ntarjmo bil 3arabeh li’anno… It’s the name of the city.
Hiba: Hatta La Sconosciuta ma ba3rif shou.
Fouad: The unknown woman. l mara l majhouleh.
Hiba: Okay. Fiyeh ana esHab l DVD.
Fouad: Eh, okay.
Fouad: Eh, ra’em sab3a huwweh it’s an animation, Spirited Away. It’s a cartoon.
Hiba: Ah, hayda. Okay. La min?
Fouad: La Miyazaki.
Hiba: Miyazaki.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: Wein sirna? Ra’em sab3a.
Fouad: Ra’em sitteh.
Hiba: Sitteh.
Fouad: Sitteh, lli huwweh Pan’s Labyrinth. 
Hiba: Kaman huwweh animation?
Fouad: Huwweh no, it’s a fantasy movie. Min ekhraj Guillermo del Toro, huwweh mokhrij mexikeh. l film ktir Helo.
Fouad: Okay, my number five. l khamseh. Huwweh Mulholland Drive. Awwal waHad.
Hiba: Awwal waHad. Hayda jdid ma kein 3andak.
Fouad: La hayda ken.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: W hayda min ekhraj David Lynch.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: My number four. Ra’em arb3a. My number four fi mishkleh enno ba3d ma 3andeh yeh original.
Hiba: Ah.
Fouad: Eh, fa esmo “Paris, Texas” min ekhraj Wim Wenders.
Hiba: Min 3arrafak 3a hayda l film?
Fouad: Paris, Texas? Ana bettilli3 ktir 3al afleim w fi shab common friend, huwweh lli khabbarneh, lli 3am bisawwer. Mike. Lli 3am bisawwer. l cameraman.
Hiba: l DOP today. Ah, Hi Mike.
Fouad: Hi Mike.
Hiba: Okay. Tayyeb.
Fouad: Okay. My number three.
Hiba: Yes.
Fouad:  Holy Mountain. Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Hiba: Bas ma eltellna l mokhrij taba3 l film yalleh abel. Paris, Texas.
Fouad: Wim Wenders, mbala elto.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Holy Mountain.
Hiba: Holy Mountain hayda series?
Fouad: Bas hayda huwweh it’s a DVD box. Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Hiba: Okay, Fouad he knows a lot of very interesting movies and everything, but recently he is watching a series that it’s not, what is the name of the series Fouad?
Fouad: True Blood.
Hiba: True Blood, very interesting.
Fouad: Okay, number three.
Hiba: Wow.
Fouad: Eh, Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Fouad: Number two is a very famous movie for Stanley.
Hiba: Film ktir mashhour.
Fouad: Film ktir mashhour la Stanley Kubrick. A Clockwork Orange.
Hiba: Number one lezim nghatti.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Eh, w l film l awwal lli huwweh bil nisbeh la eleh, film ktir Helo, ktir ra’e3, lezim teHdarou, bensaHkoun teHdarou.
Hiba: True, true.
Fouad: Cries and Whispers by Ingmar Bergman.
Hiba: Wow. Okay.
Fouad: It’s a must see movie.
Hiba: Number one. Bas leh HatiT… ma ybayyin?
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: Tayyeb merci Fouad 3al ma3loumeit yalle 3atitna yeha.
Fouad: bas fiyeh oul shaghleh abel? BHeb ktir l mokhrij Federico Fellini, bas ma fi wala film 3ando bil Top 10 li’anno it’s a special case, special director for me. Just for the record.
Hiba: Okay, Tayyeb merci Fouad, ma sme3et shou elet. Merci Fouad.
Fouad: You’re welcome, ahlan w sahlan.
Hiba: W heik, w shoukran.
Fouad: Shraftouna, teb’o 3idouwa.
Hiba: Bye.
Fouad: Bye.

Full Conversation (Arabic Script)

Fouad: هبة هيدي ريشة. وإذا بدك تفضلي. 
Hiba: ميرسي فؤاد. 
Hello. It’s our artistic lesson and because you’ve asked for a regular daily conversation in Arabic, me and my precious friend Fouad, we are doing one. I will be interviewing him. This is my artistic work and he will tell you about his one.
Hiba:  أوكي فؤاد رح نحكي بالعربي.
Fouad:  أوكي.
Hiba:  عن شو عبالك تخبرنا اليوم؟
Fouad:   هلق رح نحكي عن السينما اللبنانية شوي، وبعدين رح أخبركم عن أهم أفلام بالنسبة لإلي الأجنبية.
Hiba: Okay, but just one thing that the opinions that Fouad is saying.
 أنا ما خصني.
Never related to me. It’s not related. Okay, I have my own opinion.
Fouad:  أوكي. إيه، شو رح أبلش شوي عن السينما اللبنانية.
Hiba: Yes,عن السينما اللبنانية.
Fouad:  هي السينما اللبنانية بمختصر هيك صغير، إيه، بلشت مواضيعها عن الحرب، وأكثر مواضيع الأفلام اللبنانية كانت عن الحرب والمسلسلات حتى، إيه، في كثير إكزامبلات معينة عن هذول الأفلام، مثل زوزو اللي كان هو إنتاج لبناني أجنبي، كان في ويست بيروت أو بيروت الشرقية.
Hiba:  يا ولاد كان اسمه.
Fouad:  إيه، يا ولاد.
Hiba:  لا يمكن غيروا واحد.
Fouad:  طيب إيه.
Hiba:  ويست بيروت.
Fouad:  ويست بيروت. إيه، وفي هلق لوين اللي هو the most recently من آخر الأفلام اللبنانية اللي انعرضت بالصالات، وهو من إخراج نادين لبكي، ونادين لبكي مخرجة كثير معروفة عنا بلبنان وعم تنعرف برا. إيه، و وعندها هي كراميل وعندها هلق لوين اللي هو
Hiba:  سكر بنات.
Fouad:  سكر بنات، كراميل سكر بنات. إيه، وهلا لوين اللي نزل مؤخراً.
Hiba:  أوكي، بس الأفلام يلي قطعت قبل زوزو نسيت لمين سوري.
Fouad:  إيه، زوزو لأ….
Hiba:  أوكي، بس ويست بيروت هو لزياد دويري. إيه، وعنده Lila dit ça
Fouad: Lila dit ça.
Hiba:  أوكي، طيب.
Fouad:  وبس يعني هيك بشكل عام عن بشكل عام.
Hiba:  أوكي، هلق فؤاد إنتَ كثير بتحب السينما صح؟ إنتَ مولع بالسينما مثل ما منشوف بأوضته لفؤاد يعني عنده كذا فيلم. طيب وعبالك اليوم تخبرنا عن التوب 10 ما هيك؟ عن أفضل عشر أفلام بالنسبة لإلك.
Fouad:  صحيح، رح أخبركم عن أفضل عشر أفلام بالنسبة لإلي.
Hiba:  فيلم رقم واحد.
Fouad:  أو منبدأ من رقم عشرة مشان أعمل سوسبنس.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  أوكي، فيلم رقم عشرة.
Fouad:  هوBitter Moon.
Hiba: Bitter Moon.
Fouad:  بيتر مون، إذا بدنا نترجمه للعربي، يعني القمر المر.
Hiba:  أوكي. ل…؟ أها.
Fouad:   لرومان بولانسكي.
Hiba:  ? وبحب يفرجينا شو الأفلام يلي عنده, Bitter Moon أوريجينال.
Hiba:  أوريجينال.
Fouad:  إيه، ما هون بلبنان ما فينا إلا ما يكون عندنا إياه أوريجينال.
Hiba:  عم بكذب، he is lying.
Fouad:  أوكي.
Fouad:  إيه، my number nine. هو سكونوشوتا.
Hiba:  سكونوشوتا.
Fouad:  سكونوشوتا، هو فيلم إيطالي.
Hiba:  An Italian movie.
Fouad:  إيه، من إخراج تورناتوري.
Fouad:  كمان أوريجينال هبة.
Hiba:  كمان أوريجينال.
Fouad:  أوكي.
Hiba:  نحن من وين منجيب الدي في ديز أكثر شي؟
Fouad:  هلا أكثر محل معروف هون بلبنان هو فيرجن، اللي هو في تقريباً وين ما كان بالعالم.
Hiba:  أوكي، فيرجن ميغا ستور.
Fouad:  فيرجن ميغا ستور.
Hiba:  بس في كمان لوكلز.
Fouad:  إيه، في لوكلز دي في دي ستور وهيك يعني في.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  أوكي. إيه، نمبر 8. رقم ثمانية. دوغفيل.
Hiba:  دوغفيل.
Fouad:  باي لارس فون تريير.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  دوغفيل ما فينا نترجمه بالعربي لأنه. It’s the name of the city.
Hiba:  حتى سكونوشوتا ما بعرف شو.
Fouad:  The unknown woman. المرأة المجهولة.
Hiba:  أوكي. فيني أنا أسحب الدي في دي.
Fouad:  إيه، أوكي.
Fouad:  إيه، رقم سبعة هو it’s an animation, Spirited Away. It’s a cartoon.
Hiba:  أه، هذا. أوكي. لمين؟
Fouad:  لميازاكي.
Hiba:  ميازاكي.
Fouad:  أوكي.
Hiba:  وين صرنا؟ رقم سبعة.
Fouad:  رقم ستة.
Hiba:  ستة.
Fouad:  ستة، اللي هو بانز لابيرينث. كمان هو أنيميشن. هو no, it’s a fantasy movie. إيه، من إخراج غييرمو ديل تورو، هو مخرج مكسيكي. الفيلم كثير حلو.
Fouad:  أوكي، my number five. الخمسة. هو مولهولاند درايف.
Hiba:  أول واحد.
Fouad:  أول واحد.
Hiba:  هذا جديد ما كان عندك.
Fouad:  لا هذا.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  وهذا من إخراج ديفيد لينش.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  My number four. رقم أربعة. My number four في مشكلة إنه بعد ما عندي إياه أوريجينال.
Hiba:  أه.
Fouad:  إيه، فواسمه باريس تكساس من إخراج فيم فندرز.
Hiba:  مين عرفك على هذا الفيلم؟
Fouad:  باريس تكساس؟ أنا بطلع كثير على الأفلام وساعة بطلع. في شب common friend, هو اللي خبرني، اللي عم بيصور. مايك. اللي عم بيصور. الكاميرامان.
Hiba:  الـ DOP today.
Hiba:  أه، هاي مايك.
Fouad:  هاي مايك.
Hiba:  أوكي. طيب.
Fouad:  أوكي. إيه، my number three.
Hiba:  Yes.
Fouad:  إيه، هولي ماونتن. أليخاندرو خودوروفسكي.
Hiba:  بس ما قلتلنا المخرج تبع الفيلم يلي قبل باريس تكساس.
Fouad:  فيم فندرز، مبلا قلته.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  هولي ماونتن.
Hiba:  هولي ماونتن هيدا السيريز؟
Fouad:  بس هذا هو it’s a DVD box.
Fouad:  أليخاندرو خودوروفسكي.
Hiba:  أوكي، فؤاد he knows a lot of very interesting movies and everything, but recently he is watching a series that it’s not, what is the name of the series Fouad?
Fouad:  True Blood.
Hiba:  True Blood, very interesting.
Fouad:  أوكي، number three.
Hiba:  Wow.
Fouad:  إيه، أليخاندرو خودوروفسكي.
Fouad:  Number two is a very famous movie for Stanley.
Hiba:  فيلم كثير مشهور.
Fouad:  فيلم كثير مشهور لستانلي كيوبريك. A Clockwork Orange.
Hiba:  Number one لازم نغطيه.
Hiba:  أوكي.
Fouad:  إيه، والفيلم الأول اللي هو بالنسبة لإلي، فيلم كثير حلو، كثير رائع، لازم تحضروه، بنصحكم تحضروه.
Hiba:  True, true.
Fouad:  Cries and Whispers by Ingmar Bergman.
Hiba:  Wow. أوكي.
Fouad:   It’s a must see movie.
Hiba:  Number one. بس ليه حاطط… ما يبين؟
Fouad:  أوكي.
Hiba:  طيب ميرسي فؤاد على المعلومات يلي عطيتنا ياها.
Fouad:  إيه، بس فيني أقول شغلة قبل؟ بحب كثير المخرج فيديريكو فيليني، بس ما في ولا فيلم عنده بالتوب 10 لأنه it’s a special case, special director for me. Just for the record.
Hiba:  أوكي، طيب ميرسي فؤاد، ما سمعت شو قلت. إيه، ميرسي فؤاد.
Fouad:  You’re welcome, أهلاً وسهلاً.
Hiba:  وهيك، وشكراً.
Fouad:  شرفتونا، تبقوا عيدوها.
Hiba:  باي.
Fouad:  باي.


English Translation

Fouad: Hiba, this is a paintbrush. And if you want, come in.
Hiba: Thanks Fouad. Hello. It’s our artistic lesson and because you’ve asked for a regular daily conversation in Arabic, me and my precious friend Fouad, we are doing one. I will be interviewing him. This is my artistic work and he will tell you about his one.
Hiba: Okay Fouad, we’re going to speak in Arabic.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: What do you want to tell us about today?
Fouad: Now we’re going to talk a bit about Lebanese cinema, and after that I’ll tell you about the most important foreign films for me.
Hiba: Okay, but just one thing, the opinions that Fouad is saying, I have nothing to do with them. Never related to me. It’s not related. Okay, I have my own opinion.
Fouad: Okay. Yes, what… I’ll start a bit with Lebanese cinema.
Hiba: Yes, about Lebanese cinema.
Fouad: Lebanese cinema, in a small summary, its topics started with the war, and most topics of Lebanese films were about the war, and even TV series. There are many examples of these films, like Zozo which was a Lebanese-foreign production, there was West Beirut or East Beirut.
Hiba: Ya Wlad (Oh Children) was its name.
Fouad: Yes, Ya Wlad.
Hiba: No, maybe that was a different one.
Fouad: Okay, yes.
Hiba: West Beirut.
Fouad: West Beirut. Yes, and there is Halla’ La Wein (Where Do We Go Now?) which is the most recently, one of the last Lebanese films that was shown in theaters, and it’s directed by Nadine Labaki, and Nadine Labaki is a very well-known director here in Lebanon and she’s becoming known abroad. Yes, and she has Caramel and she has Halla’ La Wein which is
Hiba: Sikkar Banet.
Fouad: Sikkar Banet, Caramel is Sikkar Banet. Yes, and Halla’ La Wein which was released recently.
Hiba: Okay, but the films that we mentioned before, Zozo… I forgot who made it, sorry.
Fouad: Yes, Zozo is by….
Hiba: Okay, but West Beirut is by Ziad Doueiri. Yes, and he has “Lila dit ça”, I love it.
Fouad: Lila dit ça.
Hiba: Okay, good.
Fouad: And that’s it, just in general, in general.
Hiba: Okay, now Fouad, you love cinema a lot, right? You are obsessed with cinema as we can see in Fouad’s room, he has so many films. Okay, and today you want to tell us about the Top 10, right? About the best 10 films for you.
Fouad: Correct, I’m going to tell you about the best 10 films for me.
Hiba: Film number one.
Fouad: Or let’s start from number ten to create suspense.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Okay, film number ten.
Fouad: It’s Bitter Moon.
Hiba: Bitter Moon.
Fouad: Bitter Moon, if we want to translate it to Arabic, it means “The Bitter Moon”.
Hiba: Okay. By…? Aha.
Fouad: By Roman Polanski.
Hiba: He likes to show us what films he has, Bitter Moon original.
Hiba: Original.
Fouad: Yes, here in Lebanon, we must have it as an original.
Hiba: He’s lying, he is lying.
Fouad: Okay.
Fouad: Yes, my number nine. It’s La Sconosciuta.
Hiba: La Sconosciuta.
Fouad: La Sconosciuta, it’s an Italian film.
Hiba: An Italian movie.
Fouad: Yes, directed by Tornatore.
Fouad: Also original, Hiba.
Hiba: Also original.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: Where do we get DVDs from mostly?
Fouad: Now, the most famous place here in Lebanon is Virgin, which exists almost everywhere in the world.
Hiba: Okay, Virgin Megastore.
Fouad: Virgin Megastore.
Hiba: But there are also locals.
Fouad: Yes, there are local DVD stores and so on, there are…
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Okay. Yes, number 8. Number eight. Dogville.
Hiba: Dogville.
Fouad: By Lars Von Trier.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Dogville, we can’t translate it in Arabic because… It’s the name of the city.
Hiba: Even La Sconosciuta, I don’t know what it…
Fouad: The unknown woman. The unknown woman.
Hiba: Okay. I can pull out the DVD.
Fouad: Yes, okay.
Fouad: Yes, number seven is, it’s an animation, Spirited Away. It’s a cartoon.
Hiba: Ah, this one. Okay. By who?
Fouad: By Miyazaki.
Hiba: Miyazaki.
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: Where are we? Number seven.
Fouad: Number six.
Hiba: Six.
Fouad: Six, which is Pan’s Labyrinth. 
Hiba: It’s also animation?
Fouad: No, it’s a fantasy movie. Yes, directed by Guillermo del Toro, he is a Mexican director. The film is very beautiful.
Fouad: Okay, my number five. Five. It’s Mulholland Drive.
Hiba: The first one.
Fouad: The first one.
Hiba: This one is new, you didn’t have it.
Fouad: No, this one.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: And this is directed by David Lynch.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: My number four. Number four. My number four, there’s a problem that I don’t have it in original yet.
Hiba: Ah.
Fouad: Yes, so its name is Paris, Texas, directed by Wim Wenders.
Hiba: Who introduced you to this film?
Fouad: Paris, Texas? I search for films a lot and sometimes… there’s a guy, a common friend, he’s the one who told me, the one who is filming. Mike. The one who is filming. The cameraman.
Hiba: The DOP today.
Hiba: Ah, Hi Mike.
Fouad: Hi Mike.
Hiba: Okay. Good.
Fouad: Okay. Yes, my number three.
Hiba: Yes.
Fouad: Yes, Holy Mountain. Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Hiba: But you didn’t tell us the director of the film before Paris, Texas.
Fouad: Wim Wenders, no, I said it.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Holy Mountain.
Hiba: Holy Mountain, is this the series?
Fouad: But this is, it’s a DVD box.
Fouad: Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Hiba: Okay, Fouad he knows a lot of very interesting movies and everything, but recently he is watching a series that it’s not, what is the name of the series Fouad?
Fouad: True Blood.
Hiba: True Blood, very interesting.
Fouad: Okay, number three.
Hiba: Wow.
Fouad: Yes, Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Fouad: Number two is a very famous movie for Stanley.
Hiba: A very famous film.
Fouad: A very famous film by Stanley Kubrick. A Clockwork Orange.
Hiba: Number one, we have to cover it.
Hiba: Okay.
Fouad: Yes, and the first film, which for me, is a very beautiful film, very wonderful, you have to watch it, I advise you to watch it.
Hiba: True, true.
Fouad: Cries and Whispers by Ingmar Bergman.
Hiba: Wow. Okay.
Fouad: It’s a must see movie.
Hiba: Number one. But why are you hiding… so it doesn’t show?
Fouad: Okay.
Hiba: Well, thanks Fouad for the information you gave us.
Fouad: Yes, but can I say one thing before? I love the director Federico Fellini a lot, but I don’t have any film by him in the Top 10 because it’s a special case, a special director for me. Just for the record.
Hiba: Okay, well thanks Fouad, I didn’t hear what you said. Yes, thanks Fouad.
Fouad: You’re welcome.
Hiba: And so, thank you.
Fouad: You honored us (it was a pleasure), please visit again.
Hiba: Bye.
Fouad: Bye.



Key Films & Vocabulary

This conversation is full of great vocabulary for film lovers. Here are the key terms and films that were mentioned.

Lebanese Cinema

Film TitleDirectorNotes
ZozoJosef FaresLebanese-foreign production.
West BeirutZiad DoueiriA famous film about the war.
Where Do We Go Now?Nadine LabakiAlso known as W Halla’ La Wein?.
CaramelNadine LabakiAlso known as Sikkar Banet.

Fouad’s Top 10 Films

RankFilm Title (as transcribed)Correct Film TitleDirector
10Peter MoonBitter MoonRoman Polanski
9SconoshotaLa Sconosciuta (The Unknown Woman)Giuseppe Tornatore
8DogvilleDogvilleLars Von Trier
7Spirited AwaySpirited AwayHayao Miyazaki
6Pan’s LabyrinthPan’s LabyrinthGuillermo del Toro
5Mulholland DriveMulholland DriveDavid Lynch
4Paris, TexasParis, TexasWim Wenders
3Holy MountainThe Holy MountainAlejandro Jodorowsky
2A Clockwork OrangeA Clockwork OrangeStanley Kubrick
1Cries and WhispersCries and WhispersIngmar Bergman

General Vocabulary

Lebanese PhraseTransliterationEnglish Meaning
سينماCinemaCinema
أفلامAfleimFilms / Movies
مخرج / مخرجةMokhrij / MokhrijehDirector (m/f)
الحربl HarbThe War
إنتاجenteijProduction
أصليOriginalOriginal (not pirated)
أفضل عشر أفلامAfdal 3asher afleimTop 10 films
القمر المرl Amar l MurrThe Bitter Moon
المرا المجهولةl Mara l MajhoulehThe Unknown Woman
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