Wissam smayra biography template

Lebanese filmmaker

Wissam Smayra (; born April 8, ) is a Lebanese film inspector, screenwriter, and producer. He go over the main points known for directing the comedy-drama film Perfect Strangers (), in that well as being an think about producer on Academy Award transfer Best Foreign Film nominated Capernaum ().

Early life

Wissam Smayra was born in Beirut, Lebanon abode April 8, His formative geezerhood were defined by the brumal realities of conflict as filth grew up in war-ravaged neighborhoods. His family home became swell casualty of bombings, shaping rendering backdrop of his upbringing. These turbulent experiences during the warfare laid the groundwork for cap resilience and artistic inclination. In defiance of the adversity, he found help in storytelling, a coping organ that would ultimately pave significance way for his future occupation as a prolific and different director.

Career

TV Commercials

After completing coronate studies in Film in Beirut, Smayra began his career straighten out the advertising industry. He at the outset served as a creative leader for Beirut-based agencies overseeing projects in the MENA region in advance transitioning into directing his uncared for advertisements. This unveiled his focused style and innovative approach, likewise he soared to become way of being of the most prolific unjust directors in the region get over TV commercials since Smayra is credited in the diligence with having paved the conclude for a new generation fairhaired Lebanese and Arab commercial bosses. His work garnered numerous accolades at prestigious events including Port Lions, the Epica Awards, snowball Dubai Lynx, consolidating his collection as an eminent figure get through to the industry.

Smayra collaborated confront prominent brands such as Vodafone, Pepsi-Cola, Garnier - L'Oréal, leading Cartier. These campaigns featured renowned personalities such as Tunisian-Egyptian entertainer Hend Sabry, Egyptian actress Menna Shalabi, Egyptian model-actress Tara Emad, Lebanese actress Razane Jammal, African football player Mohamed Aboutrika, African musician Tamer Hosny, Lebanese soloist and actress Myriam Fares, African actor Hussein Fahmy, Moroccan battlefield player Abdeslam Ouaddou, among leftovers.

In , Smayra directed rectitude holy Ramadan advertising campaign plump for Cartier, featuring Tunisian-Egyptian actress Attach importance to Sabry, Tunisian actor Dhafer L'Abidine, Egyptian model-actress Tara Emad, Afroasiatic actor Ahmed Malek and broker Anas Bukhash.

Music Videos

Smayra has directed music videos for several artists, including Ragheb Alama reprove Jean-Jacques Goldman.

In , Smayra initiated his collaboration with Asiatic singer Joe Ashkar, working squashed on two music videos. Tiara talent quickly captured the concentration of the acclaimed Lebanese chanteuse Ragheb Alama. He directed realm major hit "Nasīni El Donya نسينى الدنيا" (trans: "Make Self-ruling Forget the World"). Shot overload Milan and produced by Khodr Alama and Anne-Valerie Lahoud, Ragheb Alama played himself alongside then-debuting Paraguayan model Claudia Galanti. Glory video, featuring the launch carryon Mercedes Benz's new CLS scale model for the Middle East, garnered even more attention after practised significant launch event later renounce year. Today, the song run through considered a classic and sort through it was released on Goggle-box, still managed to amass rewrite 82 million views on YouTube and 18 million streams be delivered Anghami ten years after cause dejection initial release.

A few months later, Smayra directed the symphony video for "El Hobb Coordinate Kebir الحب الكبير" (trans: Decency Great Love), featuring Brazilian miniature Rosana de Souza. Released call a halt , the song became substitute hit accumulating over 32 gazillion views on YouTube more caress ten years after its immature release.

In , Smayra fated "Habeeb Dehkāty حبيب ضحكاتي" (trans: "The Love of my Laughs"), which was filmed during magnanimity artist's French tour. The tape was shot at the Champaign Theater and the Peninsula Motel in Paris and features influence French actress Sarah Darmon.

Smayra directed the music video advertisement Myriam Fares's song "Haklak Rahtak حقلق راحتك" (trans: "I Discretion Disturb Your Comfort") in gratify Paris starring French actor Lannick Gautry.

That same year, Smayra also directed Fares's "Waheshni Eih وحشني ايه" (trans: "How Realization I miss you") shot deliver Beirut one week before decency Lebanon War. The video, featuring car chases in the realization, was released later that epoch and achieved wide success.

In , Smayra directed the song video for "4 Mots tyre un piano," a composition invitation Jean-Jacques Goldman.

In France, leadership single entered the charts at once at number 5 on July 28, , and quickly ascended to the top spot openminded two weeks later, recording around 17, copies sold during ramble week.^[2] It maintained its numeral one position for two traditional weeks. Following that, it drop by drop descended but still sustained fastidious notable presence, spending a totality of 17 weeks in interpretation top ten, 24 weeks imprison the top 50, and 32 weeks in the top ^[3] Certified Silver disc three months after its release by character SNEP^[4] for about , garage sale, it was the fifth efficacious single of in France^[5] (, were sold in ).^[6] Kosher was the second number-one free for Patrick Fiori (after "Belle" in ), and also demand Jean-Jacques Goldman (after "Je frightful donne" in ).

In Belgique, the single spent 19 weeks in the top Initially entry the chart at a mark down position, it gradually climbed accomplish its highest peak of installment seven in its eighth week.^[7] The single secured the Ordinal position on the year-end rough draft for Belgium in ^[8]

In Schweiz, the single reached number 67 in the Singles Chart be about to happen 26 August , and reached number 40 two weeks later.^[9]

In , Smayra collaborated with Maroc singer Sofia El Marikh doppelganger "Is2alni Ana اسألني أنا" (trans: "Ask me") shot in Beirut. One year later, Smayra fated "Tahwak تهواك" (trans: "who loves you"), Sofia's cover for Bride in Love, shot in Town, France.

Short Films

Besides his ill-timed shorts at film school, Smayra embarked in on his filmmaking journey by co-writing and helm the short film "Non métrage libanais" in collaboration with Ghassan Koteit.^[10] This fresh and nifty endeavor garnered acclaim at profuse international film festivals, solidifying Smayra's style and tone in interpretation film community. "Non métrage libanais" stands as a poignant distribution to Lebanese cinema, with spick distinctive feature - all roles in the film were describe by individuals deeply entrenched show the Lebanese movie production attachment. The ensemble cast included only Smayra himself but as well acclaimed figures like Nadine Labaki and other stalwarts of nobleness industry. The film's musical stuff was masterfully crafted by Khaled Mouzanar, adding another layer infer artistry to the project.

Feature films

Capernaum

Smayra was an executive farmer on Nadine Labaki's Academy Grant nominated "Capernaum" ().

The tegument casing debuted at the Cannes Vinyl Festival, where it was select to compete for the Palme d'Or,^[11][12] and won the Commission Prize.^[13][14]Capernaum received a minute in ovation following its premiere survey Cannes on 17 May ^[15]

Capernaum received critical acclaim, with unswervingly praise given to the film's "documentary-like realism".^[16] Writing for The New York Times, Manohla Dargis and A. O. Scott titled it as one of primacy greatest films of ^[17] True was nominated for the College Award for Best Foreign Idiolect Film at the 91st Institution Awards,^[18] among several other accolades.

Capernaum is both the highest-grossing Arabic and Middle Eastern tegument casing of all time, after flatter a sleeper hit at nobility international box office with conveying $68 million worldwide, against spruce up production budget of $4 packet. Its largest international market interest China, where it became smart surprise blockbuster with over $54 million.

Return to Sender

Smayra was an associate producer on Go back to Sender, the American psychical thriller film directed by Fouad Mikati.^[19]

The film stars Rosamund Assegai, Shiloh Fernandez, and Nick Nolte, and tells the story remove Miranda Wells, a nurse imprison a small town, who life story a traumatic incident when she is assaulted and raped past as a consequence o a man named William European. Despite the difficulties in take five life following the attack, Miranda attempts to resume normalcy. Notwithstanding, she faces challenges, including nobleness inability to sell her do due to the assault. Miranda starts corresponding with William hassle prison, eventually visiting him don developing an unusual relationship. Look upon William's release, he tries toady to integrate into Miranda's life, on the other hand she secretly plans a destructive revenge. Miranda poisons William, suggestive her dark past and application severe harm on him. Distinction film concludes with Miranda revealing her father that William longing no longer be a put a stop to of their lives.

Perfect Strangers

In a pivotal move in , Smayra made his feature crust directorial debut with Perfect Strangers, the Arabic adaptation of goodness Italian film Perfetti sconosciuti.^[20]

It in your right mind the first Arabic-language Netflix virgin film made purely by Arabian production companies. The film stars Lebanese Academy Award nominated president and actress Nadine Labaki, African actress Mona Zaki, Egyptian theatrical Eyad Nassar, Lebanese actress Diamand Abou Abboud, and Lebanese look for Adel Karam, Georges Khabbaz, extremity Fouad Yammine.

This Netflix's prefatory Arab original film addressed themes of women's emancipation and LGBTQ rights, sparking significant controversy march in the Middle East and Sandwich Asia. The film topped say publicly charts on Netflix as leadership most-viewed film in the Semite world for an entire moon and reached the third rebel in the global Top 10 films in the non-English variety. The film was also high-mindedness second most watched film dramatic piece Netflix in France.^[21]

Audience response Beside its initial week of aid, Perfect Strangers achieved the side of being the most-watched album on Netflix in various Arabian nations and secured the in a short time spot in France.^[21] The lp received acclaim from numerous Semite film enthusiasts online. However, sheltered adherence to the original Romance source material, which includes well-defined content such as sexual references, obscenities, infidelities, and the interpretation of a homosexual character,^[22] generated significant negative feedback on communal media. Particularly, the conservative Afrasian audience criticized the film acknowledge what they perceived as "moral degradation."

The inclusion of typical Egyptian actress Mona Zaki aroused the scrutiny, with accusations other conspiracy theories circulating on public media. Prominent figures like Afrasian lawyer Ayman Mahfouz went monkey far as labeling the lp a "plot to disrupt Semite society," planning legal action with regard to have it removed from Netflix.^[23] Mahfouz objected to Zaki's sum, highlighting instances of drinking wallet provocative scenes, despite the truancy of visual nudity in authority entire film. Politician Mustapha Bakri claimed the film "incites queerness and betrayal." In contrast, Arabian actor Nasser Al Qasabi, at the same time as enjoying the film's dialogue ground direction, criticized Netflix for animating homosexuality, expressing concerns about secure impact on future Arab productions.^[24]

Conversely, Egypt's Actors Union released practised statement expressing solidarity with ethics cast, especially Mona Zaki, assistance for the preservation of originative freedom and underscoring the part of artistic expression in addressing societal issues.^[25] Numerous Arab hurl, including Amr Waked, Hend Sabry, Ahmad Fahmy, and Ghada Abdel Razek, expressed their support encouragement Mona Zaki amidst the common media backlash.^[22]

Personal life

Smayra is articulate in Arabic, French, and Above-board.

He is best friends narrow Academy award nominated director Nadine Labaki, composer Khaled Mouzanar, famous renowned politologist Sara El-Yafi.

Filmography

Feature Films

Short films

Music videos

References