Image Matters

A documentary directed by Rozy Sarkis. Hosted by the Fine Art Programme, Department of Design and Multimedia, University of Nicosia. Sponsored by the Lebanese Embassy in Cyprus

In English and French & Arabic with English subtitles

19.30. Wine and Refreshments
19.45. Screening
20.30. Discussion about documentary film-making

“The two women talking about shopping in the midst of war—there are so many layers of contemporary culture captured in IMAGE MATTERS simultaneously, such as a distracting investment in the surface, a solution to anxiety...” - Virginia Blum, Author of ‘Flesh Wounds: The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery’

In the midst of war, a group of women indulge in a shopping spree, in the midst of crises, they are busy getting their hair done. And in between all of this, they always make time for a visit to the plastic surgeon.Inspired by the bizarre world she witnessed around her while growing up in a wealthy village in war-torn Lebanon, RozySarkis’s documentary Image Matters explores the country’s culture of cosmetic surgery. With the spotlight on Marinelle, a popular Lebanese soap-opera actress,Image Matters follows her insatiable desire to regain the lost beauty of youth.As she struggles with the dangers of the operation and the complications that ensue, the background features a hub of female family members, each riddled with their own anxieties about their appearance. This family drama plays out against a broader backdrop of considerable social upheaval and instability.

With music by Lebanese composer ZiadRahbani, Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe, Alexi David's PATRIOT ACT, Adonis and Ayden.

Image Matters is a documentary researched and produced over 4 years. It has featured in Sydney at The Lebanese Film Festival, Dubai Film Mart and Roehampton University.

ROZY SARKIS is a producer/director that has traveled across the globe with an anthropological interest in different cultures. She studied in London and has worked on media and film projects since 2004, including award-winning feature film Tangled Up in Blue' by Haider Rashid and documentary short The Newspaper House by Sumer Erek featured on The Guardian. Before 2004 she collaborated on video art projects including 'Garcia Lorca esta Vivo?' a film by award-winning Dutch filmmaker Eef De Graaf which was selected for the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw and Film festival Cannes-Short film Corner.