From Beirut to Bozeman (Montana) and back again Lebanese filmmaker Fouad Alaywan discusses his artistic trajectory and his interest in spying neighbors

Thursday, June 29, 2006

From Beirut to Bozeman (Montana) and back again

BEIRUT: "That’s my grandfather," says filmmaker Fouad Alaywan as he points a thick finger toward the wall opposite his desk. A black-and-white photo shows two tarbush- and toub-fitted men. "He ran a travel agency." The family business proved prophetic for Alaywan.

In the 1980s he left Lebanon to join his brother in Toulouse. Unlike many Lebanese, though, he didn’t find his spiritual home in France.

In 1989, he moved to Bozeman, Montana, where he attended film school at Montana State University. Alaywan took to the US and still keeps a house in California.

"I felt more myself in Montana," he recalls. "The school system in the US is more pragmatic. Europe is great, with all the theater and music. If you have money.

By Jim Quilty
Daily Star staff

Full Story: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=73532