Watch The Lebanese Rocket Society

The Lebanese Rocket Society is a peculiar and captivating movie about a group of Lebanese physicists during the 1960s who attempted to launch a home-grown rocket into space. The film is directed and produced by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, two Lebanese filmmakers who offer an insightful and emotional take of the country's past and aspirations.

The story begins after World War II when the Lebanese started to gain independence from foreign powers. A group of pioneering students from Haigazian University in Beirut initiated a space research program with the goal of defending Lebanon from its enemies. The group's leader, a charismatic Armenian professor named Manoug Manougian, gathered a team of technicians, engineers, and students to design and build rockets that could reach high altitudes and carry scientific experiments.

The movie explores the challenges and triumphs of the Lebanese Rocket Society, which managed to launch several missiles and satellites throughout the 1960s until the program was abruptly shut down by the Lebanese government for undisclosed reasons. The filmmakers make use of archival footage, interviews with the surviving members of the society, and reenactments of the rocket launches to convey the story's sense of wonder and achievement.

One of the film's strengths is its ability to reflect the spirit of the time, when many countries were pursuing the space race and investing heavily in science and technology. The Lebanese Rocket Society presented an alternative vision of the world, where a small and relatively poor nation could push the limits of human knowledge and participate in the global conversation. The film also shows how the society's ambition and creativity were fueled by a sense of national pride, as members from different backgrounds and religions united under a common purpose.

Besides its historical and political dimensions, the movie also has a personal side, as it portrays the colorful characters that made up the society. Manougian, the leader, was a charismatic and idealistic figure, who inspired his students to think big and pursue their dreams. His colleague, the Lebanese physicist Youssef Alam, became the chief designer of the rockets and provided the technical expertise. Other memorable characters include Araxie, a female technician who defied gender norms and stereotypes, and Michel, a young student who dreamed of becoming an astronaut and found a mentor in Manougian.

The Lebanese Rocket Society is also a visually stunning and poetic movie, with cinematography that captures the beauty and complexity of Lebanon's landscape, from the sandy beaches to the rugged mountains. The film blends ephemeral images of the rockets taking off with more intimate moments of the characters interacting with each other and their environment. The soundtrack of the movie is equally eclectic, mixing traditional Lebanese music with French pop and electronic beats.

Overall, The Lebanese Rocket Society is a remarkable and moving film that tells a story of innovation, resilience, and imagination. It sheds light on a lesser-known chapter in the history of the Middle East and invites us to reflect on the potential of human creativity and collaboration.