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February 20, 2026
'A love letter to Beirut': Lana Daher on sifting 20,000 sources and 70 years of film to make Do You Love Me
Remembering and documentation are radical acts in Lebanon, a country with a tumultuous history and no national archive. Daher’s effervescent cultural collage is a direct challenge to collective amnesia
TL;DR
- Lana Daher's film 'Do You Love Me' explores Lebanese history, a country lacking a national archive.
- The film consulted over 20,000 sources, including footage from private collections and abandoned archives.
- It addresses issues of censorship and the erasure of cultural history in Lebanon and the wider region.
- Despite political instability and conflict, Lebanese filmmakers and artists are seen as crucial documenters of history.
- The film uses thematic connections rather than strict chronology, incorporating imagery of the sea and moments of joy.
- It reframes conventional narratives by using scenes from past Lebanese movies, including works by female filmmakers.
- The film is described as a 'love letter' to Beirut and the act of cultural work born from care and love.
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