WISSAM CHARAF / DIRTY DIFFICULT DANGEROUS
Born in Lebanon in 1973, Wissam is a Lebanese/French director and journalist based in Paris. After 3 years working with a pirate radio in Beirut, in the midst of the Lebanese war, he turned legit and took jobs as a video editor with several Lebanese television networks.
In 1998, he moved to Paris where he worked with the French/German network ARTE, as a news cameraman, editor and journalist covering conflicts in Lebanon, Darfour, Afghanistan, and North Korea. On the lighter, more creative side, he worked as an assistant director on music videos for artists such as Sinead O’Connor, Asian Dub Foundation and Noir Desir, as well as on feature films and documentaries.
In 2004, he directed his first short, Hizz Ya Wizz, about the boredom of a young man in a modern city. In 2006, while covering the Israeli agression on Lebanon, he filmed his second short, A Hero Never Dies, about the endless waiting of a young artist during wartime. This was followed in 2007 by An Army of Ants about three young men on their quest for a Kalashnikov. The film competed at the Locarno Film Festival and won the Jury prize at the Lunel Film Festival in France.
In 2012, he directed his first documentary IT’S ALL LEBANON [ANA 2012] awarded the Bronze Tanit for the Best Documentary at Carthage Film Festival.
His first feature HEAVEN SENT (2016), selected by ACID in Cannes, won the Grand Prize at Tübingen Film festival among many other awards.
His film UNFORGETTABLE MEMORY OF A FRIEND (2018) won the Jury Award at the Hiroshima International Film festival.
His latest feature DIRTY, DIFFICULT, DANGEROUS (2022), played at the 79th Venice International Film Festival and at the Red Sea FIlm Festival, among others.