For over a decade, Lebanese actress, director and drama therapist Zeina Daccache has been using theatre to shine a light on the systemic failures and injustices of the Lebanese judicial system. Through her non-profit, Catharsis-Lebanese Centre for Drama Therapy, she's been using acting workshops to help rehabilitate prisoners, raise awareness of their situations and advocate for much-needed legal reforms.
“I never really intended to get involved with things like that,” Daccache tells The National. “When I started, I said we would go in to do drama therapy, and this might lead to a theatre play. I asked what the inmates wanted to say in their play – this is the way I do it; it's their voice – and they came up with the penal code and the parole system. So, I looked into it.”
Daccache's two previous documentaries, 12 Angry Lebanese (2009), shot in Roumieh prison, and Scheherazade’s Diary (2013), in the Baabda female prison, won several international awards each and inspired changes to the Lebanese penal code. Her 2021 film, The Blue Inmates, which had its world premiere at Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival, centred on inmates inside Roumieh – Lebanon’s largest and most infamous prison – who produce a theatre play about their fellow inmates who've been diagnosed with mental illness.
With her latest play, Li Chabakna Ykhalessna, launched earlier this month, Daccache has partnered with ex-prisoner, close collaborator and friend Joseph Jules to address a different issue; one that is much closer to home. With Lebanon still caught in the grip of a severe economic crisis and reeling from the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, along with decades of political quagmire and other disasters, both find themselves reflecting on their own time imprisoned – whether voluntarily or otherwise.
The title, which roughly translates to “he who trapped us can set us free”, is a refrain from Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez's hugely popular song Gana El Hawa, released in 1969.
Now aged 57, Jules became a militia fighter at just 14 years old during the Lebanese Civil War. Following the end of the conflict, he was imprisoned in 1991, his crime earning him a life sentence. By the time he met Daccache for the first time, in 2006, he had been imprisoned in Roumieh for 15 years. Today, he has been free for three years, a beneficiary of the same parole reforms that he and Daccache advocated for.
“For 13 years, Joseph and I worked together on every project,” Daccache explains. “For every single theatre play and all the drama therapy sessions I was implementing, he was there to participate. Naturally, I try to stay in contact with people I've worked with for so long. We were grabbing a coffee, talking about life, and I suggested we write a play about both of our situations after prison.”
“It's a very sarcastic play,” she continues. “We talk about Lebanon, the economic crisis, the Beirut Blast, and being trapped in a state of no closure. We had no government for the past four years. It's a reflection on life in general, and then we go into personal things that happened to us.
“Drama therapy is a tool I've always used. Now, I've applied it to myself. It's your life, but it's not autobiographical theatre; you are revealing parts of your life for the sake of your own therapy, and the therapy of the audience.”
Hosted at Le Monnot Theatre, in Beirut’s affluent Achrafieh neighbourhood, Daccache and Jules blend tragedy and comedy, embracing both sarcasm and gallows humour as they pass through themes of grief, friendship, parenting, family crises and finding peace, despite the uncertainty of the future. Through their personal stories, their characters find meaning in a chaotic world, and ultimately reaching a place of hope and optimism.
Daccache and Jules are also joined on stage by stand-up comedian Sam Ghazal. Born in 2000, he was sought out by Daccache and Jules as an antidote to their own pessimistic, world-weary perspectives. Within the framework of Li Chabakna Ykhalessna, Ghazal's unburdened, youthful presence is an invitation for both the cast and the audience to let go, and look at things with fresh eyes.
“Sam Gazel is beautiful,” says Daccache. “When I was sitting with Joseph, and we were writing and reflecting, we realised that we are so depressing. We needed some new blood. So, after we had a good laugh about that, we asked around about stand-up comedians, and someone guided us to Sam. He knew nothing about prisons or the wars that took place in Lebanon. He was exactly who we needed.
“I've been a clinical psychologist for the past 25 years. If there is no humour in you, looking back at your life and your traumas becomes so difficult, because life is so absurd in the end. Life is like a big play. If you can't see the absurdity of it and smile, it can be overwhelming.”
Li Chabakna Ykhalessna is a harsh but ultimately heartwarming journey of personal healing. Its intimate and quietly powerful performances allow audiences space to explore their own complex feelings in relation to Lebanon’s unfolding situation as the country enters what many Lebanese are calling a potential turning point for the better.
“I don't want anything,” Daccache says of the play. “I'm receiving messages daily, saying thank you for this play and saying that we're not OK in this country. Whatever they take from it, it's good.”
Li Chabakna Ykhalessna is running at Le Monnot Theatre in Beirut on select days until April 7
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
The%20specs
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
TICKETS
For tickets for the two-day Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) event, entitled Dubai Invasion 2019, on September 27 and 28 go to www.meraticket.com.
The%20Sandman
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ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company%20Profile
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
More on animal trafficking
RESULTS
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World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
Jumanji: The Next Level
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, Nick Jonas
Two out of five stars
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
