Reel Festivals 2011 was our most ambitious event yet, and aimed to host events in Syria, Lebanon and Scotland, focusing on cultural exchange and interaction. Unfortunately due to developing events in Syria we have had to postpone events there.

Why doesn’t everyone put music, film and poetry together?! You can look, you can listen, you can get lost in dreams in dark rooms. And drink. And dance. And in my case, find three people who immediately say ‘yes, sure’ to going to an unknown destination in mountains above Beirut to meet an unknown herbalist driven by some young men I had met for the first time at the screening of The Edge of Dreaming. They too, they said, had premonitory dreams. (www.edgeofdreaming.co.uk) It was of course fantastic! I filmed with this beautiful grandmother who has treated the neighbourhood for colds and flu and cancer and diabetes. We went gathering herbs together, stopping the car by waste grounds, pushing our way through the kids playing football as the sun set to pick the herbs she uses for stomach ache and skin allergies and hangover cures. Hada – we will be back!

Travelling with Reel Festivals to gather herbs in Lebanon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First published on Reel Festivals website on July 6th, 2011.