28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

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Brothels in Beirut

director: Lucien Le Saint
original title: Maisons closes au Beyrouth
country: France
year: 1919
running time: 2 min.

synopsis

Brothels in Beirut, Lebanon, November 21-25, 1919

The film depicts prostitutes and soldiers of the French army (Lebanese and French) standing in front of brothels. The operators were on mission to the Middle East, Lebanon and Israel from 14 November 1919 to 4 January 1920.

Frédéric Gadmer (photographer for this mission) and Lucien Le Saint (cinematographer) boarded the cruiser Waldeck-Rousseau in Toulon on 14 November 1919. They accompanied General Gouraud on his journey to Beirut, where he took up the post of High Commissioner for Syria and Cilicia. Having arrived in Beirut on 23 November, they covered the investiture ceremony and travelled with the general to Cilicia (December 10–12), Jerusalem, and Bethlehem, where a Christmas Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Dubois. Back in Beirut, they left for Marseille on 4 January. Fesnault, an operator working for Gaumont, and journalist Albert Londres were also part of the mission.

© Département des Hauts-de-Seine – Musée Albert-Kahn, collection Archives de la Planète

more about film

director: Lucien Le Saint
producer: Albert Kahn
photography: Lucien Le Saint
Ministerstvo kultury
Fond kinematografie
Creative Europe Media
Město Jihlava
Kraj Vysočina
GEMO
Česká televize
Český rozhlas
Aktuálně.cz
Respekt
Dafilms