Born to film

How long have you been a projectionist?
24 years. It started as a hobby during the war – I just stayed.

Why did you choose Sofil?
It wasn’t a choice. When I began there was only one cinema. There was the Espace in Jounieh, and the El Dorado in Hamra, but this was during the war; there was a line and we could not cross it.

Any problems with showing 35mm films?
During festivals sometimes the films arrive late and we don’t have time to check them. There can be problems with the sound – its goes duh-duh-duh-duh-duh. But this is a very nice cinema, the people are first class, and they don’t complain.

What’s the future for 35mm films?
3D. Now people will call us to see if we’re showing films in 3D and when we say no, they wait two weeks to see it at another cinema.

What films do you like watching?
Not films – ‘Prison Break’. It’s amazing. And not comedies. At my age, they’re more likely to make me cry rather than laugh.