Georges Khabbaz

Georges Khabbaz ( ar, جورج خبّاز, born in Hasbaya, November 5, 1976) is a Lebanese actor, writer, director, comedian, musician, playwright, producer and theater professor.

He is best known for playing the lead role in ''Under the Bombs'' (2007) and '' Silina.'' He is also known for writing '' Ghadi'' (2013), in which he also played the lead role, and '' Waynon'' (2014).

Early life

Khabbaz was born into a family of artists.
His father Georges Joubran Khabbaz has starred in plays like '' Sahriyyi'' for ''Ziad Rahbani'' and has appeared on television in '' Les Miserables'' and '' Youth 73''.
His mother '' Odette Atiyyeh'' is also a theatre person, appearing frequently in local festivals.
Georges Khabbaz studied at '' Holy Spirit University'' of Kaslik where he obtained a degree in musical comedy.
He was four years old when he first appeared on stage for a school play titled ''Life of St. Maron.'' Professionally, his theater career began in 1994.

Career

Films

In 2006, ''Georges Khabbaz'' starred with Nada Abou Farhat in the film ''Under the Bombs'' (or ''Sous Les Bombes'') directed by Philippe Aractingi. The film, which used "real shots of the war and of the horrors it created among the civilian population", follows a Muslim woman as she tries to find her son in the immediate aftermath of the Lebanese war, accompanied by a Christian taxi driver ''Georges Khabbaz''. ''London Evening Standard'' reviewer Derek Malcolm praised (Georges Khabbaz)'s performance as "excellent". However, ''Time Out London'' reviewer Dave Calhoun described the film as "deeply flawed". The film was one of 16 out of 983 submissions to be selected for screening at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Khabbaz was awarded Best Actor in a Feature at the 8th Annual ''Rotterdam Film Festival'' for the role.
Alain Spira wrote in Paris Match on May 5, 2008 that Georges Khabbaz the star in his country is "literally Al Pacinesque."

The 2008 film ''Silina'', directed by Hatem Ali, saw Khabbaz together with Duraid Lahham and Miriam Fares in a film retelling of the operetta ''Hala and the King'' (originally by Mansour and Assi Rahbani). Khabbaz plays the King of Silina, who is tricked by his entourage and as a result proposes marriage to a poor woman, believing her to be a princess he is destined to marry.

In 2012 Khabbaz wrote and starred in the film '' Ghadi'' directed by ''Amin Dora'' and produced by '' The Talkies''.
In a small coastal town, Leba ''Georges Khabbaz'' a music instructor, marries his childhood sweetheart Lara. Medical tests show that his newborn has special needs. The townspeople are fast to reject little Ghadi. Leba and his friends must find a way to convince his neighbors to accept his young son. Their solution is genius, heartwarming and redemptive.
''The Hollywood Reporter'' said "The polished production and adamant view of a better human nature make GHADI hard to resist"
Dora and Khabbaz have delivered a sly and absorbing comedy whose particular resonance for Arab viewers never undercuts its essential appeal to a potentially broad array of audiences.
GHADI was selected to represent Lebanon in the foreign-language Oscar race 2015 (it was initially chosen last year but opened too late at home to qualify).
Ghadi won the AUDIENCE AWARD at the ''International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg'' 2014, the KNN AUDIENCE AWARD at the International
''Busan Film Festival'' 2014, the AUDIENCE AWARD at the '' Arabian Sights Film Festival Washington'' 2014, the BEST FICTION and BEST ACTOR at '' La Nuit Des Mabrouk'' 2014 and the BEST LEBANESE MOVIE and BEST CINEMA ACTOR at ''Murex d'or''2013.

In 2013 Khabbaz wrote the film '' Waynon'' (Void) produced by the '' NDU University'' and he was the supervisor of seven directors from the college. A film that carries you away, while anchoring yourself in the reality of the country, the tragedy of the missing people from the Lebanese war.
Waynon? Where are they? the 17,000 missing persons in the Lebanese war. This is the question posed by the film, asked by mothers, sisters and daughters of the disappeared, a question that has an essentially feminine face.
Waynon has participated in many festivals worldwide and received numerous international awards such as SPECIAL JURY AWARD at the ''Alexandria International Film Festival'' Egypt 2014, BEST FEATURE at '' Silk Road Film Festival'' 2014, OFFICIAL SELECTION at ''Dubai International Film Festival'' 2013 and BEST SCREENPLAY at ''Malmö Arab Film Festival'' 2014.

Theater

*2005: Msibe Jdideh - مصيبة جديدة (New Calamity)
*2006: Kezzeb Kbir - كذاب كبير (Big Liar)
*2007: Hala2 Wa2ta - هلٌق وقتا (It's Time)
*2008: Chou El Adieh? - شو القضيٌة (What's the Case?)
*2009: 3al Tari2 - عالطريق ( On the Way )
*2010: Le Professeur - البروفيسور (The Professor)
*2011: Matloub - مطلوب (Wanted)
*2012: El Awwal Bel Saf - الأٌول بالصف (The First in Class)
*2013: Mech Mekhtelfin - مش مختلفين (We're not Different)
*2014: Natrino - ناطرينو (Waiting For Him)
*2014: Rafka - رفقا (Rafka Musical)
*2014-2015: Wara El Beb - ورا الباب (Behind The Door)
*2015: Ma3 El Wa2t ... Yemkin - مع الوقت... يمكن(With Time... Maybe)
*2016: Bel Kawalis - بالكواليس (At The Backstage)
*2017-2018: Ella Eza - ...إلّا إذا (Unless...)
*2019: Yawmyet Masrahje - يوميات مسرحجي (The Diaries of a Theater Actor)

Awards

°Khabbaz has won the Murex d'Or award several times: in 2004 for best sitcom Abdo w Abdo, in 2006 for best theatrical play in (Kezzeb Kbir), in 2008 for best polyvalent artist.,Murex d'Or official site
accessed 2010-12-04 in 2011 for best actor in (To Yara) and in 2013 for best cinema actor in '' Ghadi''.

°Best Actor in ''Rotterdam Film Festival'' 2008 for his role in ''Under the Bombs''.

°Best Play "Kezzeb Kbir" in Festival de Molière - Paris 2007.

°Best Actor at '' La Nuit Des Mabrouk'' 2014 for his role in '' Ghadi''.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Khabbaz, Georges
Living people
1976 births
Lebanese male film actors
Lebanese writers
Lebanese comedians
20th-century Lebanese male actors
21st-century Lebanese male actors
Lebanese male stage actors
Male child actors
Lebanese male actors