Denise Jabbour is an award winning Creative Producer from Lebanon. After a few years of working as an agency producer in Dubai, She came back to Lebanon & worked on a numerous award winning projects. In 2014, she produced and initiated “Zyara”, the award winning doc web-series, in partnership with Muriel Aboulrouss as the first creation of their Association “Home of Cine-Jam”. Today she is the main investor and supporter of the intuitive filmlab program since it’s relaunch in 2021.

The Intuitive Film Lab isn’t just a workshop, it’s a place where emotions are transformed into daring, experimental films full of raw intensity. It’s a sanctuary where vulnerability turns into strength, where deepest feelings are expressed, understood and embraced, through the power of experimental films, The Intuitive Film Lab creates a safe space to enrich creative, emotional and mental well-being. Muriel Aboulrouss – Creator and conductor of The Intuitive Film Lab – guide the filmmakers to dive deep into introspection, exploring their thoughts and feelings. Together, they face doubts, fears, and dreams, finding support and validation from Muriel and fellow filmmakers who share their passions and challenges.This lab isn’t just about filmmaking, it’s a journey of personal growth and healing, inviting filmmakers to grow not just technically, but emotionally and creatively. It’s a journey that connects us not only with ourselves but also with others, creating a support system that lasts beyond the workshop, it’s where friendships are born, collaborations blossom, and a supportive community continues to inspire each member on their artistic path. It’s a hub of inspiration where new ideas flourish, partnerships thrive, and boundaries are pushed together.

A filmmaker based in Beirut, Lebanon. I use my work to explore myself and my own experiences. I am interested in the art of others and draw inspiration from a variety of sources to inform my own work. With a deep passion for visual storytelling and a background in film and theater, I have developed a keen eye for the nuances of human emotion and behavior, which I weave into my films. My film-making practice spans from directing to producing and cinematography, allowing me to craft deeply personal narratives.

Being the coordinator for the Intuitive Film Lab this year was an entirely different and rewarding experience. Last year, I participated as one of the artists, fully immersed in creating my film. This year, however, I had the privilege of seeing the process from a broader perspective. Watching the films come to life and witnessing each artist’s emotional journey was incredibly special. It’s fascinating how watching a large number of disjointed visuals can evoke such intense and powerful cathartic emotions, for me that was my favorite part of the lab. I’m grateful for the opportunity to coordinate this year, and for the meaningful connections I’ve made along the way. In the film lab, authenticity and intuition guide us. We co-create with life, manifesting unique audio-visual expressions of our personal emotions and perspectives. There’s no competition; each film is a unique experience. I believe in this message deeply and am grateful to have been a part of it.

A resilient human being who believes in love, faith, and hope, 24 years old translation student and audiovisual creator. Having always been a creative person, creativity always intended to show in my daily life. Since I was young I loved photography and loved languages too, so today I work in both fields. My goals are always to grow bigger than my fears, so I always aim to rebel as I’ve done before: rebel on my past self, my family, my community and everyone or everything which might stand in the way of life’s flow. That is how I became the person I am today.

Year on year, the experience of the intuitive film lab gets more interesting and more complex. I had a great experience witnessing the process from a distance. Being an audiovisual witness gave me the opportunity to view the process from a different perspective. The experience with Muriel was very smooth and enlightening as I learned to trust the process of not only creating art, but also to of witnessing it. I learned a lot from the filmmakers too. I was reminded of the importance of being patient, positive, and open to the internal voice which helps the creative intuitive process to be successful. To more honest art!

Victor Bresse is a Lebanese Sound Engineer, working from his own studio in Beirut. Victor started in the music field and soon transitioned to music production before working as a sound engineer and sound designer on films, ranging from short to feature fiction and nonfiction films. Among his latest projects, the sound design of “Souad” a Feature Film which premiered in Cannes. “Tales of the Purple House” by Abbas Fahdel premiered in Locarno and the Sound Design of “Miguel’s War” Which is still touring around the world.

My second year on the Sound of the Intuitive film Lab brought me to reflect on this beautiful process where we see a talent learning to transform their emotion into a shareable sensory experience. And that’s not easy… But it’s the process that makes the experience, and it feels to me that the experience is about each talent finding their voice and their own process to express it; & I’m very grateful to be a small part of it.

I have been in the film industry for more than 12 years. I found myself in color grading 5 years ago and have been grading nonstop eversince. Now senior digital colorist at Hedgehog post house, I work with many high-end clients and have graded many beautiful looking commercials, series, music videos, short and feature films, and documentaries. I carry with me a deep knowledge and experience of all aspects of cinema and filmmaking. I am an expert in Davinci Resolve and can work in Baselight, and am a professional in all workflows, color spaces, and technical details pertaining to the grading and finishing process. I love working on all types of projects and making beautiful images to better tell your story.

The Intuitive film lab this year was as usual a great experience. I always look forward to working on the short films of the film makers because they are free to experiment and see where their footage and films can go in terms of color. This is the main reason why i love the FilmLab. Not only because of the great people i get to meet, the excellent projects i have an opportunity to work on, but the creative freedom given to the Filmmakers, always leading to interesting images. I have around 9 hours over two days to grade 9 short films, and it demands from me a certain level of competence to be able to deliver quality with speed. each film gets its own look and vibe, all created on the spot with the filmmakers, and serves as a confirmation of lucidity and professionalism.

I am a self-made hardworking and dedicated storyteller. I am a Human Rights Defender and history enthusiast who uses his passion for visuals and art and history to create and document compelling stories.

I am lucky to have been part of the film lab as a participant artist 2 years ago and as postproduction supervisor for the previous and current film lab batches. I choose to keep walking this journey along side Muriel Aboulrouss, Denise Jabbour and the wonderful team who creates this initiative because I truly believe in its importance for artists in a country such as Lebanon to express themselves freely and intuitively. I believe that its a space for them to get in touch with the artist and human inside them away from all the stress we live in. I also support the Intuitive film lab and chose to be part of this family because i have met wonderful people in this journey. We shared emotions, love, experience and friendships.

Before graduating from AUT with a BA in Audio-Visual Communication, I collaborated on 10 short films with international filmmakers. After creating 3 short films and 8 years of working as a producer, writer, director and actor, I am now working towards being a truly intuitive creator.

The Intuitive Filmlab is a rare opportunity to nurture artists and empower them to reveal their own artistic identity. The results of the program are: liberated artists, a family, a truly authentic series and the never-ending love and support of Muriel and Denise.

Adham Al Dimashki is a Lebanese visual artist and poet. A University lecturer in art therapy and self- development. His poetry was published in the Arab world and translated to English, French, Armenian and German; Al Dimashki won several prizes for his work. He is the founder of “Anbar” cultural festival which he hosts in his own house yearly.

My mother kneaded me with legends, and taught me to make a wish when I see meteors crossing on a dark night, or when I see a rainbow. On one of the rooftops in Ashrafieh, where Muriel Aboulrouss resides on the ground floor of the same building, whose roof she annually revives with her cinematic laboratory of creation by intuition, I saw nine intuitive films, nine colors, not seven: the first is white and the last is black, lining up a triumphal arch in the sky of Beirut. So I made a wish and promised myself, nine new directors, who delved into their depths in search of fear, which prompted me more than once during my follow-up to the series creation to ask: Wouldn’t it have been easier for the nine directors to jump from the fourth floor instead of jumping into their depths in search of suppressed or repressed emotions? And if the first jump calls for inevitable death or paralysis, will the one who jumps inside oneself escape the consequences of such a confrontation and allow stuck feelings to pass through and liberate?? My mother taught me to believe in miracles, but I have never seen them happen except in art, art that leaks light and ink, art that showed us that individual reconciliation leads to collective reconciliation. It is the first time that I am reassured upon seeing fear. I am sure that whoever lives in this cinematic laboratory will not give up and will not fear for the future of art and people in Lebanon!

I am a self-made hardworking and dedicated storyteller. I am a Human Rights Defender and history enthusiast who uses his passion for visuals and art and history to create and document compelling stories.

Being a Cine-Jammer in 2022’s Ana series, i had the chance to experience an overwhelming process of digging inside my deep feelings and translating it through visuals and sharing with with others. Along side 8 other filmmakers and a great team of mentors and techical experts it was a journey of filmmaking and human connection. I had the chance to meet filmmakers who became close friends and project partners. In 2023’s fear, i was happy to be part of this journey again but this time as a post production supervisor, Witnessing and supporting filmmakers undergo a similar but also different process. Seeing the result being born, i understand now how lucky i was to be part of it and how hard yet exciting it is. I am glad to be part of this experience and again i met 9 filmmakers who i look up to as filmmakers and whom i am excited to share this life with.

I have been in the film industry for more than 12 years. I found myself in color grading 5 years ago and have been grading nonstop eversince. Now senior digital colorist at Hedgehog post house, I work with many high-end clients and have graded many beautiful looking commercials, series, music videos, short and feature films, and documentaries. I carry with me a deep knowledge and experience of all aspects of cinema and filmmaking. I am an expert in Davinci Resolve and can work in Baselight, and am a professional in all workflows, color spaces, and technical details pertaining to the grading and finishing process. I love working on all types of projects and making beautiful images to better tell your story.

This was the second year as colorist for The Intuitive FilmLab. As per usual i had a great time. In the studio we had artistic freedom to grade images in non conventional ways, sometimes even distoring images to result in films that are not only metaphysically provoking but also visually, where each film has its own colors, mood and look which is chosen by the artist. Other than this, Muriel, The FilmLab team, and the students are all very welcoming and warm where through the journey of each discovering their film, have become closer togehter as a group. Every year is always a great experience and joy to work with, meet and learn about the artists part of The intuitive FilmLab.

Victor Bresse is a Lebanese Sound Engineer, working from his own studio in Beirut. Victor started in the music field and soon transitioned to music production before working as a sound engineer and sound designer on films, ranging from short to feature fiction and nonfiction films.

Among his latest projects, the sound design of “Souad” a Feature Film which premiered in Cannes. “Tales of the Purple House” by Abbas Fahdel premiered in Locarno and the Sound Design of “Miguel’s War” Which is still touring around the world.

The process of mixing these nine shorts in nine days for the intuitive film lab, felt like a daily rebirth, a reminder to let go, in a world without boundaries; where we could follow the films needs and forget about the classical rules of sound for films; each morning felt like Christmas, where I receive a new AAF with the film and run to unwrap it and discover a new sprout that needed some care before being released in the wild.

Hiba Louis is a Lebanese expert in languages and translation with a Master’s degree in International Commercial Negotiations from the Lebanese University – Beirut | Sorbonne Paris III. She has been managing for 7 years now a production house producing films that handle big events and advertising. Now she’s evolving into managing film productions, series and fiction. She was the producer of the award-winning short film “Alnajma”, starring Aida Sabra and directed by Gilbert Karam. She is known for her two consecutive Christmas TV campaigns honoring Beirut Blast victims entitled “Christmas Heroes”. Hiba always had a passion for reading, watching, creating and writing stories. She strongly supports justice in her society and seeks to spread empowering messages especially to the middle eastern women through Cinema. Hiba is currently co-writing her first TV series STATUS QUO which won the VIS Paramount Best Storytellers award at Conecta Fiction & Entertainment in 2022.

The intuitive film lab is an intense experience lived by artists, giving birth to remarkable and sentimental films. This puts pressure on me as a translator to harmonize words in a foreign language with the profound emotions conveyed by these films. Typically, words struggle to transmit feelings as effectively as audio-visual means. Therefore, it was a pleasure for me to attempt to blend with these humble tools in order to preserve the highly emotional material born from Home of Cine-Jam. Thank you for trusting me with your works of art.

Denise Jabbour is an award winning Creative Producer from Lebanon. After a few years of working as an agency producer in Dubai, She came back to Lebanon & worked on a numerous award winning projects. In 2014, she produced and initiated “Zyara”, the award winning doc web-series, in partnership with Muriel Aboulrouss as the first creation of their Association “Home of Cine-Jam”. Today she is the main investor and supporter of the intuitive filmlab program since it’s relaunch in 2021.

I am grateful to be witnessing & contributing to the beauty and intensity of “The Intuitive Film Lab”, where filmmakers come together to create freely from their guts, expressing their feelings without fear, sharing their vulnerability and deepest emotions without shame, and listening to each other without judgment. Although the creation of each film starts from a personal experience, from a very personal emotion, the final result becomes universal by stirring discomfort within the viewers, revealing their own emotions in perspective to the topic. This unique filmlab is created & conducted by Muriel Aboulrouss, who is always there to provide support, motivation, guidance and protection, to empower them into being themselves, building a community of authentic artists, spreading love and light.

She inherited the profession from her mother, and to this day she still insists on kneading and baking the bread in the same way. She was widowed early, so she raised her children on her own, and took care of them with love and tenderness.

I am grateful & happy to feel needed by the youth and to be able to feed all of them with love.

At 6 years old, I was in the bus and a little bit sad. I was feeling very different than my other classmates, in my school environment. When I felt a sudden clarity, my eye became bigger, bigger than the bus and everything. I looked at the girl in the back of the bus, one of my classmates, her mother by her side; and I thought: “would I be the same if I was her? living her life?” That same eye answered: “Yes of course, yes!” Then I looked at my mom and myself, with that external eye. I felt that despite all the complexity of my life. I really preferred to be Shérine. I was happy with myself. 30 years later. I’m still …happy to be Shérine.

This year, experiencing the intuitive film lab, was as passionate and exciting as last year. Witnessing and expressing in my own way the Cine-Jam creative process was the role I played in 2022, while I was one of the creators of Ana Beirut the series in 2021. It was a great blessing, to be in the presence of new creators, seeing how their eyes were shining brighter, week after week; and it all comes down to the genuine encounter they had with themselves. Its not easy to look at our own truth and to express it creatively, although it is one of the main purposes of Art, and the journey is worth it. It is an intimate artistic experience that one needs to live in order to understand, also there is an immediacy to the experience that favorizes the opening of our heart’s eye (the intuition) and when that eye is open, when that muscle is trained and trusted, the creative process flows and the coherence of the film is unquestionable. It is not logic we follow, it is the impulse that defies all mental reasoning, we need to jump to discover that we can fly. The intuitive film lab offers that space to explore who we are, in all our colors and scents, and transform it all into a unique audiovisual expression, an expression that is only ours.

Educated, trained, and experienced in Sound Recording, Editing, and Mixing for Cinema, TV, Radio, and Podcast, Elia has worked with several esteemed Directors, production companies, and TV channels on numerous projects ranging from award-winning student films to TV ads, documentaries, and Cinema movies.

I was really impressed by the multiple artistic languages, the spirit, the framing, the editing and the coloring which reflected the soul of the creators and gave each film a unique identity. On the other hand, the original sound of the films was intuitive and emotional even if they were recorded with basic equipments and sometimes with cellphones. So I felt that my approach needs to follow the spirit of the movies and sometimes even keep some rough edges in the clips. So with a little bit of reordering, tweaking and placing in the mix, I felt that the sound started to contribute more in the buildup and have a real impact on the films. The overall experience with the live interaction, the back and forth with the artists and the help of the Maestro Muriel, were constructive and helpful. “Less is more”, this is what Muriel was repeating to our hearing and this led, with the open spirit of the artists, to the success of the refinement of the sound tracks, et voilà. Finally, I hope that this intuitive lab progresses throughout the years and gets to involve more and more honest and pure souls to explore and live this experience.

Elias Nemer is both a scientist and an artist. From an early age having an interest in physics and mathematics, and later delving into the arts as a DJ and Producer. Receiving his film degree from SAE London in 2010, he has been in the industry for 10 years working with renowned directors and filmmakers in all aspects of film making. As an artist he has found himself in color and light, and for the past 4 years has been delving into this field to become the best colorist he can be.

The two days we spent grading was great. The 9 artists were adament to learn and see their films as they had hoped. All the films were a great success in terms of grading and I am very happy to have worked on them. The thing is that these grading sessions were not so locked, but very lucid in terms of creativity, where the looks and feelings of each film were created on spot and this is what lead to all the success we had with the films. Working with Muriel as well was a great joy as she is a true professional.

Adham Al Dimashki is a Lebanese visual artist and poet, a university lecturer in art therapy and self-development. His poetry was published in the Arab world and translated into English, French, Armenian, and German. Al Dimashki won several prizes for his work. He is the founder of “Anbar” cultural festival which he hosts in his own house yearly.

The intuitive Film Lab, first experience of its kind in Lebanon and the Arab world, is born in Beirut. Like a flock of pigeons, nine filmmakers have landed on the rooftop of Muriel Aboulrouss, to dig into the Cine-Jam creative process before flying high above their City: Beirut, proud to declare, despite the dusty skies, a Happy Outcome. They left behind the common people in marshy waters, busy with their day to day shores, ruminating artistic productions poisoned by fear. It is true that intuition is a form of innate knowledge that cannot be explained by analytical logic. It is also indisputable that writing about it, is an unavoidable offence. I, Adham Dimashki, find myself responsible of testifying to that experience that I witnessed as the coordinator & an active member of this innovative cinematic journey: the intuitive film lab 2022 where the series Ana was born. I felt that this Film Lab has given back Lebanon a front seat on the artistic creative scene. Lebanon has been liberated from its political & economical alienations during these 6 weekends on Home of Cine-Jam rooftop www.homeofcinejam.com It all started with « emotions », untold emotions which were the mystery that pushed Aboulrouss to bring her film lab to life. She has been aware since 2012 that analytical logic leads the filmmaking industry to compose a lying discourse through images and sounds, a discourse with an agenda beyond the beauty & necessity of the creative act itself. The Cine-Jam intuitive creative process guides the filmmakers to transcend mental intellectual mechanisms, digging deeper into their emotions & finding in their subconscious mind the unique imagery within them, then they take on the challenge to transform it, using their knowhow and talent, into a short film by trusting the intuitive muscle and surrendering to the process. It is a unique way to manifest what can only be channeled by each and every creator. The films born through this Film lab are far from the sophisticated creations of the mainstream industry. It is an inward meditative journey and an invitation to probe the depth of the Ego, transform them into images and sounds, in a poetic self painting…

Antoine Maksoudian is a Lebanese/Armenian director, writer, and editor. He received a Master’s in film directing in 2019 and then worked for two years as the head of the production department in an agency in Saudi Arabia. He is currently freelancing while simultaneously writing and producing his first independent film.

It’s always a pleasure to work with such a kind-hearted, talented, and professional bunch. Every single one of these artists gave a part of themselves in producing these films and going to the screening to watch the results made me happy and proud to be part of such an honest, brave and hardworking team.

Following my mother’s footsteps, I have developed a passion for cooking and baking. Making food, whether it is for my family or not, is a process I do with care. I believe that when you add a bit of love to your food, it instantly becomes better, but don’t tell anyone, that’s my secret ingredient.

I’ve been catering for the intuitive film lab for two years, and it has been a wonderful experience. The feedback was always amazing, and the smiles were above the roof. It was my utmost pleasure to be part of this outstanding team, and it was my honor to feed the artists while they create wonders.

Amgad is an Egyptian graphic designer, with a special focus on digital publishing. He finds it a bit weird to write about himself in the third person so he’s going to keep it short. He is also the co-founder of Jazilan and its resident creative director.

I am a person who loves freedom and real people, far from everything that harms the soul. 

I respect the other and respect his opinion. I am full of love and peace. I am the creator of “Nafas w Barakeh”. I chose to be in this initiative ” Ana Beirut ” in order to express my love for my country in my own way. It is an opportunity to discover the secret of this love for this country, the country of the message, and its richness with all its being of people, the beauty of nature, and the magic of the city of Beirut.

I was born and raised in Achrafieh, Beirut is my home, the place where I was loved, where I got lost, and where I became who I am today. I was looking for myself until I started going to university and this is where I met Muriel. You helped me find my film and your presence in my life means a lot to me. I am so happy that we are in each other’s lives. In the film lab, while creating Ana Beirut the series, I was so happy to witness the love, joy, and emotions we shared together. How amazing it was to feel at home on Home of Cine-Jam rooftop and your intuitive film-lab is a pure act of generosity and love. I was filled with genuine love, a love that was given to each and every one of us, and it’s a love that will remain forever. people need that in Lebanon and if they would experience what we did with you, Beirut would be a better place. I wish for this film-lab to continue for as long as possible and for filmmakers to know that there is a place and people who love and believe in them. Merci Muriel, Denise, and Home of Cine-Jam for this initiative and for reconnecting us all with who we are, our creative intuition, and our hearts.

Alex is the name I chose for myself: a person who is defined by genuineness, grace, and freedom. After living in survival mode for over 5 years away from home, ANA BEIRUT offers a gateway to connecting with my inner self as a person and a filmmaker once again. I dream of living a life of making a difference: touching hearts and changing mindsets

I am Aiman Yahya Jabayee. Born in Malaysia, I have lived, beyond my home nation, in the United States and England and Lebanon and am missing only a stint in South America to complete that rare trait of a “well-rounded” global perspective. Aside from international travel, other interests of mine include sports such as football and activities such as tabletop gaming and literature composed of cheap writing “conventions” such as run-on sentences.

Both my interests and my career can be rooted in their extensions of the photochemical process, in which people would sit together in purpose built rooms, watching and working and waiting all the same for the purpose of things feeling right. My privilege is to have done this for the past five years, and my want is to extend that gift to more years and more places.

A Creative Mind, a Neuroscience Enthusiast and an Adrenaline Addict, Marie Jo is the founder of Creative Innovation LB. She believes in the principle of leadership by example. Her dream is to be able to combine Science and Arts in a very unique way which aims to make a certain difference and leave an impact. Because we rise by lifting others, volunteering in this initiative would be an opportunity for me to grow bolder and feed my hunger for knowledge

A citizen of the world and a teller of stories. I’ve been singing all my life and my artistic path has always been accompanied by a thirst for connection. Through singing, my core objective is to remind people that we are all the same.

Following my mother’s footsteps, I have developed a passion for cooking and baking.

Making food, whether it is for my family or not, is a process I do with care.
I believe that when you add a bit of love to your food, it instantly becomes better, but don’t tell anyone, that’s my secret ingredient.

This happening by accident, being born in Beirut, has inspired him to express his pursue for beauty through the city’s imperfection in different forms of visual arts.

As a director and photographer, he uses his skills to break all visible and invisible boundaries. He doesn’t only show his point of view in his image, but also unintentionally helps the viewer understand better the mystery of this world and discover something new about them. He undoubtedly believes that the screen and the photograph can be used as a transformative tool to highlight on any social, political and humanistic case, therefore he is always up for any challenge that has to do with all aspects of this field.