Jocelyne Saab's Radical Vision Finds New Life in Mohanad Yaqubi's 'Revolutionaries Never Die'

In an era where cinematic history often feels confined to dusty archives, a new film is poised to reignite conversations around one of Arab cinema's most vital voices. Palestinian filmmaker Mohanad Yaqubi’s 'Revolutionaries Never Die,' which recently premiered at Locarno, isn't just a tribute; it’s a living testament to the enduring power and unsettling relevance of Lebanese filmmaking pioneer Jocelyne Saab.

Saab, who passed in 2019, was more than a director; she was a chronicler, an artist, and a force who navigated the tumultuous landscape of Lebanon and the broader Middle East with a camera as her weapon. Her filmography, spanning documentaries and fiction, unflinchingly captured the civil war, displacement, and the human cost of conflict, often with a raw, poetic urgency that few could match. Yaqubi’s project dives deep into this legacy, not through conventional biography, but by meticulously stitching together Saab's own archival material, creating a dialogue between past and present.

A Cinematic Séance with History

Yaqubi's approach is a bold one, eschewing traditional narrative for a more immersive, almost meditative experience with Saab's body of work. By recontextualizing her footage, he allows her voice to resonate anew, transforming her historical depictions into urgent commentaries on our contemporary realities. The film becomes a cinematic séance, where Saab’s images speak directly to the political and social upheavals that continue to plague the region today.

This isn't merely an academic exercise. The