Maryanne Zehil

Maryanne Zehil was born in Beirut. She is a filmmaker and a producer. In 1997, she settled in Québec and in 2000, she created her feature films and commentaries production company, Mia Productions http://www.miaproductions.ca In 2006, From my window without a home…,(De ma fenêtre, sans maison...) http://www.miaproductions.ca/index.html did the closing of the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, and got a good reception from the public. On April the 22nd 2010 it was released in Lebanon and was acclaimed by the press. She has finished her second feature titled The Valley of Tears http://www.thevalleyoftears.com

Reviews

A very good and exciting debut for this director who proved intellectually and technically that the passion of cinema is boiling in her guts with strength and certainty. (...) Maryanne Zéhil is a filmmaker promised to a brilliant future. Her first work brings to light promptly her talent as well as her singular vision of cinema and her knowledge of all the necessary tools to make it.
—M.H, AL-OUSBOU, AL-ARABI
The approach of the subject is very rich and deep. It succeeds in touching us with intelligence, emotion, tenderness and humor. We are very proud of her.
—Joséphine Habchi, AL-DALIL AN-NAHAR
This film shot in 2006… is very authentic and very attractive. A unique product which announces promising projects at all levels.
—Mohammad Hijazi, AL-LIWA'
De ma fenêtre, sans maison… is a work that talk about inners, about reason and feelings, but also about the dead ends of love. A film that opens many windows in any case.
—Colette Khalaf, L'ORIENT-LE-JOUR
Our first surprise was the casting because the characters are magnificent! The film is amazingly accomplished and the scenes succeed with a lot of sensitivity (...) Both actresses are astonishing, the mother Sana (Louise Portal) and the daughter Dounia (Renée Thomas) in the role of two conflictual characters superbly interpreted.
—M.H., AL-LIWA'
Moving, touching and so authentic.
—C.K., L'ORIENT-LE-JOUR
This production evoke the question of the immigration with a lot of sensitivity and nostalgia.
—Adib Sayegh, LOUBNAN.INFO
At first and above all, De ma fenêtre, sans maison… is a movie about Women’s Liberation. This first feature by Maryanne Zéhil is a very personal work where she delivers her feeling about Quebec and Lebanon. (…) If the characters are totally fiction, the emotion is very true. (…) If Louise Portal is really a very credible Lebanese, her convincing performance is not a surprise. The breakthrough of the movie is the young Renée Thomas who plays the role of a Dounia more real than the real thing.
—Régis Tremblay, LE SOLEIL
The cinematography of Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky is beautiful and don’t suffer from the low budget of this production shot in Lebanon and Quebec. The theme is interesting and rather new. The comedians are true altogether and, after the first surprise, Louise Portal is completely credible in the role of a Lebanese woman. She interprets accurately the ambivalence of emotions towards a country which we chose to leave even if we still love it.
—Francine Laurendeau, SÉQUENCES

References

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