Lebanon and the wounds of war: MEMO in Conversation with filmmaker Daniele Rugo

In this week’s MEMO in Conversation, we speak to acclaimed filmmaker Daniele Rugo about his new documentary The Soil and the Sea, which premiers in London this month. The documentary brings to light harrowing stories from the Lebanese Civil War that have long been hidden away, buried along with victims in undiscovered mass graves across the country.

Rugo’s film grapples with the nation’s collective trauma and concerns over the reopening of wartime wounds that still fester. But can Lebanon heal without truth and reconciliation? We ask Rugo about the importance of the film in helping Lebanon recover from the trauma of the civil war and get his thoughts on the lessons from the past in understanding the generational impact on Palestinians subjected to genocide in Gaza by Israel.

Rugo is an award-winning filmmaker and author. His previous film About a War explored social change through the stories of former militiamen from Lebanon’s civil war. He is a Professor of Film at Brunel University London and has been a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE).

READ: Lebanon’s Hezbollah vows to continue anti-Israel attacks until Gaza war ends