The explosion, which took place in the capital of Lebanon on August 4, was heard 40 kilometers from Beirut, Russian director Maria Ivanova, who is shooting a feature film in this Middle Eastern country, told TASS on Wednesday.
"We came to Lebanon a month ago to shoot a full-length feature film. Just a week ago, we were still in Beirut, and then went to a village 40 kilometers away, and this actually saved us. But even here, during the shooting, we heard an explosion. We didn't know where it came from or what it was. Most of the members of our group are Lebanese, they said that this is something serious, " Ivanova said. In Lebanon, she is shooting a psychological drama with the working title "In her head".
Ivanova said that the cars and the film crew's office in Beirut were damaged. According to the director, the hotel where the film team lived is located 200 meters from the port. There was one of the actors who said that after the explosion in the hotel windows shattered and the entrance was blocked, but he was not injured.
"He quickly packed, we were able to pick him up three hours later, now he is with us in the village, safe. <...> We have an international project, thank God, our Lebanese colleagues did not suffer any injuries - neither family nor friends. We decided to take a day off tomorrow so that people can visit their families and stay with them," the director said, adding that the members of the film crew are hard going through what happened.
Ivanova, who previously shot a documentary, added that she had already sent one of the cameramen to Beirut and planed to go there herself in the near future. The shooting of her art project in the capital of Lebanon was planned to begin on August 16, but half of the selected locations have now been destroyed, and new ones will have to be found.
Director Maria Ivanova is the founder and head of the MyLebanon project, which deals with tourism and various projects in Lebanon. She organized the first Russian film festival in this country in 2016. In addition, Ivanova produced over a hundred documentaries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: WAEL HAMZEH / EPA / TASS
Based on materials from TASS