Video version:
https://youtu.be/AgfKUejHnkg
Al Wadi (Part 2) catches up with Gabrielle Elia, author of 'Impressions of My Youth in Lebanon'.
We dive deep into Wadi Abu Jmeel's history - a bygone neighborhood once central to downtown Beirut - and the Lebanese Jewish community's position in a time of post-independence uncertainty for Lebanon.
Our discussion explores Gabrielle's childhood, full of an innocent joy that she retains. We also talk about relics both abandoned and restored of a once vibrant community's rich and troubled past.
Our conversation also touches on the storytelling craft, and why Gabrielle continues to write about a country she left over half a century ago.
If you haven't already, listen to the first episode of Al Wadi (Episode 170) released in June 2020:
https://soundcloud.com/thebeirutbanyan/ep170
And check out all her books (including 'Impressions of My Youth in Lebanon') via the following Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=%22Gabrielle+Elia%22&i=stripbooks
Special thanks to Christian Konjian and Charlotte Gaudreau for helping film in Montreal.
Soundtrack by Marc Codsi.
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Music by Marc Codsi. Animation & illustration by Sana Chaaban.
