Critically Acclaimed by International Media
'Remarkable and brilliant documentary' – The Australian
The unexpected international success of Lebanon...Imprisoned Splendour came largely as a result of the personal storyline of the film. Unlike typical documentaries with their authoritative, detached, report-style structure, what filmmaker, Daizy Gedeon, unwittingly achieved by telling this story through her personal witness, was to immediately, emotionally connect with the audience on a human level.
It's purpose became much more than telling a parochial, Lebanon-centric story, but interestingly, more a tale about "two cities" or, more factually, two countries and two identities and the struggle associated with those dichotomies.
* Two Countries _ the land of ones birth or heritage and ethnic origins as contrasted with the country where someone has migrated to, live, reside.
* Two Identities _ the culture, norms, traditions, rituals, language, behaviours of the country where a person or their parent's were originally from versus those that surround them and are reinforced on a daily basis in a person's adopted homeland.
These themes traverse nations, people, cultures, races and religions. They unify humanity in exposing the struggles and challenges that most people are experiencing as a result of the globalisation of our world and the fact that the last 100 years has seen the largest mass migration in human history.
The over-arching Middle East crisis subplot and associated civil war, assassinations, kidnappings, Syrian occupation, Israeli invasion and Palestinian refugee catastrophe narratives were addressed in a more factual manner. Journalists across the world, from Australia to the USA and Lebanon, picked up on these global concepts and reviewed the film favourably.
Daizy was interviewed on television, radio, featured in magazines and newspapers. Some of the most significant reports, articles and reviews included features in The Australian newspaper and the Sydney Morning Herald, reviews in the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe and the Washington Report on the Middle East. See selection below.
Media Coverage Timeline
Title: Bad move by Israel Author: Greg Sheridan Precis: “We should lament the probable destruction of the brightest star on the Middle East Horizon.” Greg Sheridan, The Australian’s Foreign Editor, explores a Lebanon now ten years on from the 1997 release of the magnificent and multi award winning documentary, Lebanon,…Read More
Title: Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: Narrator and special guest, Omar Sharif hosts this beautiful and moving documentary in which Lebanese-born Australian journalist, Daizy Gedeon, attempts to come to terms with her heritage as she returns to her native Lebanon to celebrate its ancient culture and capacity for…Read More
Title: Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: Using broad but effective strokes, Australian journalist and filmmaker, Daizy Gedeon, attempts to dispel the negative images that surround her birth country. “Your Lebanon is an international problem yet to be solved/Mine is calm enchanted valleys, murmurs with church bells and whispering…Read More
Title: Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: “Your Lebanon is an international problem yet to be solved/Mine is calm enchanted valleys, murmurs with church bells and whispering brooks.” The expansive words of Lebanese poet, Kahil Gibran, as read by Omar Sharif, lie at the heart of Australian journalist and…Read More
Title: A Tribute to the People of Lebanon Author: Kevin Thomas Precis: Omar Sharif’s elegant presence as he narrates passages quoted from Khalil Gibran in Daizy Gedeon’s beautiful and moving ‘Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour’ underscores his belief that “you never stop being Lebanese”. Australian journalist and film-maker, Gedeon, explains that she…Read More
Date: 19 September 1997 Title: 1998 Academy Award Entrant Precis: Official notice for limited season screening of Academy Award entrant Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour at The Music Hall Theatre, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles.
Title: “Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour” Holds Official U.S. Premiere Author: John Vandenberg Precis: Academy Award documentary contender ‘Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour’s official U.S premiere was held on Capital Hill to an overflow crowd of well-wishers, including Rep. Nick Rahall, the grandson of Lebanese immigrants. Narrated by Omar Sharif, “Film industry officials in…Read More
Title: Picture slog clicks for Daizy Author: Bryce Corbett Precis: She has chased Omar Sharif around France, mortgaged and sold her house, and then raised more than $400,000 – all to make her first film, Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour. Now an international multi-award winning documentary, Gedeon’s determination has finally paid off…Read More
Title: Falafel meets meat pie Author: Bryce Corbett Precis: Falafel meets meat pie is the dominant theme in the Australian documentary setting its sights on the Academy Awards. Film-maker Daizy Gedeon takes the part of the pie in her award-winning documentary Lebanon…Imprisoned Splendour, the story of her return to Lebanon…Read More
Title: Our eternal search for a homeland Author: Diana Giese Precis: Daizy Gedeon’s prize-winning film, Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour, celebrates the courage of a people determined to restore their country to its former glory as well as her personal search for ‘a homeland, a culture, a people to call our own’.
Title: The Lebanese Firt lady helps restore faith in the Lebanese Community. Author: Precis: The Lebanese First Lady was in attendance at the Inauguration Ceremony of the Centre for Children with Diabetes and Thelasemia where guests viewed a documentary entitled Lebanon…. Imprisoned Splendour and presented by Australian Producer and Journalist,…Read More
Title: Winner of the silver screen award for ‘Best Documentary’ in New York Mahrajan. Author: Jad Elhajj Precis: Background and history behind the making of ‘Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour’ by Daizy Gedeon
Title: Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: In the eyes of many Westerners, Lebanon is a land of violence, terrorism and war. Lebanese are seen as barbaric, backward, camel jockeys. Narrated by actor Omar Al-Sharif with verse by Khalil Gibran, this film sets out to address these entrenched negative…Read More
Title: Daizy’s big break Author: Noel Mengel Precis: She chased Omar Sharif around France, then sold her house to raise money – all to make her first film Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour. Australian filmmaker Daizy Gedeon, reveals a Lebanon that is ‘a cosmopolitan country, not simply a war zone’.
Title: Daizy Gedeon continues to promote her film: Lebanon: Imprisoned Splendour, to hundreds of people in attendance at the Bellevue. Author: Anwar Harb Precis: Australian Journalist and Film Producer hosted an evening at The Bellevue to present her documentary, Lebanon…. Imprisoned Splendour.
Title: Daizy Gedeon and her film ‘Lebanon: Imprisoned Splendour’ Author: Precis: Description about the importance of the film, and the companies who sponsored it, making it a film worth watching. As well as the Commentary that Daizy had to the contribution of the film to the unveiling of the real…Read More
Title: Lebanon’s Soul Author: Greg Sheridan Precis: A documentary on a resilient nation shows it reclaiming its place in the world after decades of war. Award winning Australian journalist and filmmaker, Daizy Gedeon’s Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour delivers an exceptionally rich film. It seems to have been impelled primarily by a…Read More
Title: Thank you, Daizy Gedeon! Author: Naim Khoury Precis: A poem/prose in Arabic dedicated to Daizy Gedeon.
Title: Coming Home Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: This is my story. And, in fact, it is every immigrant’s story. What distinguishes me from other immigrants is my name and geographical origins. Otherwise, our dilemma about where we belong is the same: our eternal search for a homeland, a culture, a…Read More
Title: Shorts Program V: Penetrating ‘Lebanon’; cheap ‘Short Change’ Author: Betsy Sherman Precis: Featuring Daizy Gedeon’s fine personal documentary “Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour”, the Lebanese-Australian director shows us how the homeland she re-discovered as an adult is much different from the violent Lebanon we know of through the media. The film…Read More
Title: Daizy puts her heritage in focus Author: Piers Akerman Precis: Daizy Gedeon’s award-winning film, Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour, was conceived after Gedeon made her first return to her country of origin since aged 5 and was struck by a culture so different from the images of a war-torn nation divided…Read More
Title: Letters to the Editor Author: (Potentially) Nazen Irani, Walid Hosni, Issan Nalki Precis: Letters from Artist Nazen Irani, Journalist Walid Hosni, Poet Issan Nalki. These Authors praise the Film and abound in happiness at the successes of it, beaming with pride at the contribution of Omar Sharif.
Title: She told her story of how she convinced Omar Sharif to contribute to the Film. Daizy Says: ‘The Beauty of Lebanon is far more powerful than the violence’ The film wins first prize and clarifies the right picture of Lebanon Author: Anwar Harb Precis: Interview with Australian Producer and…Read More
Title: Desperately seeking Omar Author: Brook Turner Precis: Sheer grit and determination have resulted in award-winning documentary Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour by novice film-maker Daizy Gedeon. Persuading Omar Sharif to appear in the film was only part of the battle….. the ‘story behind the story’ could be a film all on…Read More
Title: Filmmaker looks at the past and finds herself Author: Lynne Kinsey Precis: In attempting to reveal the real Lebanon, award-winning filmmaker, Daizy Gedeon, discovered a forgotten part of herself. Narrated by actor Omar Sharif and three years in the making, Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour focuses on the hope and resilience…Read More
Title: Struggle for Liberty dependent on Peace Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: On November 22, 1943, the Lebanese fought for and won independence from France. Almost 50 years to the day, it could be argued that the Lebanese are struggling, once again, for liberty. This time the alleged antagonist is a…Read More
Title: Rebirth Of A Nation Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: As Lebanon marks its 50th Anniversary of Independence after nearly two decades of war and unrest, Daizy Gedeon explores the imminent economic and political challenges ahead.
Title: Letter to my people Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: Daizy Gedeon talks of why she wanted to set the record straight through her report in The Australian newspaper on ‘her Lebanon’ and the background behind the production of her documentary, ‘Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour’.
Title: Letter to my people Author: This Documentary shows the true face of Lebanon and making it was a national obligation. Precis: Background and history behind the making of ‘Lebanon… Imprisoned Splendour’ by Daizy Gedeon as well as the necessity of the film in modern times, and with the support…Read More
Title: Journey Home Author: Daizy Gedeon Precis: Daizy Gedeon left Lebanon for Australia in 1970 when she was 5 years old. Now a staff reporter on The Australian, she recently returned to her former homeland and was surprised to discover a country not quite as portrayed on the television news.