Mounir Maasri

Mounir Rachid Maasri (born. Aley, Lebanon; April 23, 1940) (Arabic: منير رشيد معاصري‎), born to Rachid Maasri and Shafiqa Haddad, is an actor, director, writer, and teacher for the Performing Arts. Maasri completed his early education in Lebanon, and travelled to the United States at a young age to continue his studies in the field of Performing Arts.

Mounir Maasri
Born (1940-04-23) 23 April 1940
Aley, Lebanon
OccupationActor, Writer, Director, and Performing Arts Teacher
Years active1962–present

Education
Mounir Maasri (second from left) in front of the Senior Dramatic Workshop in New York

From 1960 to 1962, Mounir Maasri studied under Lee Strasberg – one of the most famous teachers at the Actors Studio – at the Senior Dramatic Workshop in New York. In 1961, he was asked to start teaching other students himself, in addition to holding the leading role in several productions, including Julius Caesar, Othello, and A Streetcar Named Desire, among others.

Film
Mounir Maasri in Garo

Upon his return to Lebanon in 1962, Maasri began a prolific career – that was halted briefly due to the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War. In this initial phase of his career, the period of 1962 to 1975, he worked not only as an actor, producer, writer and director – often in two or more of these positions for a single production – but at times also as a dancer, production manager, make up consultant, lighting designer and director, in feature films, television and theatre. His participation was not limited to productions in Lebanon, but also included joint Lebanese-American, French and British projects. Works particularly worth mentioning are his leading roles in feature films Garo and The Mute and Love, for which he was later recognized with a Best Actor Award from the Lebanese Film Academy in 1967 and 1968 respectively, and a leading role in the Arabic-language version of Mohamad: The Messenger of God, during the filming of which he met and befriended late actor Anthony Quinn, as well as Irene Pappas.

Theater
Maasri (second from left) with (L-R) Nagham Abou Chedid, Rudy Rahme, Carla Dib and Patricia Elias after the performance of "Infinite Desire" on 15 April 2010, in Beirut

Starting in 1977, Maasri resumed his cultural activities, branching out as Lebanese Folk Dance teacher at the American Lebanese Cultural Organization in Los Angeles. In the following three decades, he continued to work as a writer, actor, producer and director, as well as undertaking other projects such as being tasked as lighting designer and director for several recitals by Majida al-Roumi (herself a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from AUB), both in Lebanon and abroad – in events such as the Jarash International Art Festival in Jordan, the International Carthage Art Festival in Tunisia, the Baghdad International Festival in Iraq, and al-Roumi’s USA Tour in 1990 which included a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. Maasri took part in several international festivals with both his films and his plays. Such festivals include, but are not limited to, the Moscow Film Festival in the former USSR; the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia; The East Meets the West in Rome; the 10`eme Rencontres Internationales -Films et Jeunesse, in Cannes; and the Baghdad Theater Festival, in Iraq. His awards, in addition to those aforementioned for Garo and The Mute and Love, include Best Film for The Mute and Love at Tashkent Film Festival (USSR) in 1968, Best Short Film for The Oriental Dance at the Tashkent Film Festival in 1971, and Best Play for The Dream Maker at the Carthage Theater Festival in Tunisia in 1985. Maasri has participated in local and international festivals and seminars in other capacities: he was the Artistic Director for Anjar International Art Festival in Anjar, Lebanon, jury president at the Cannes Junior Film Festival in Beirut and artistic director of the ceremony in Byblos that marked the launch of the International Year of the Culture of Peace in 2000; abroad, he reprised his role as a teacher at the Performing Arts Dance Seminar in Brasília, Brazil, several times, and most recently, was an honorary guest and jury member at the 3rd International Urban Film Festival in Tehran.

Performing Arts Teacher

Perhaps one of the biggest roles he has ever played – and continues to do so – is his role as a teacher. Maasri has taught at several different Lebanese universities, such as the American University of Beirut (Off-Campus Program), ALBA, Notre-Dame, Saint-Esprit de Kaslik, and Balamand, as well as Dulcina College for the Performing Arts in Brasília, Brazil. He worked as an acting coach on Brazilian feature film Baile Perfumado (winner of 18 international awards). Since 1998, he has been Dean of the Performing Arts School at the Institute Libano-European of Technology, as well the sole instructor of an intensive, multi-faceted program which trains and teaches students in the four interlinked disciplines of acting, directing, writing and producing for cinema and television. Many of his former students, who have nothing but praise for him (and in true technological generation fashion have set up a group on the social networking site Facebook, which currently has over 100 members), have pursued successful budding careers of their own in Lebanon, the Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Belgium and France, among other places. He also developed a program for teaching the audiovisual arts to children with special needs, and is backed by a diploma in Parental Guidance: The Development of the Human Potential from The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, Philadelphia – USA. He initially implemented the program at the Institute Libano-European of Technology but was unfortunately unable to continue due to lack of funding.

Festivals

Film Festivals
  • The Oriental Dance: Tashkent Film Festival - USSR
  • The Mute And Love: Carthage Film Festival - Tunis, Tashkent Film Festival - USSR
  • Destiny: Carthage Theater Festival - Tunis, Moscow Film Festival - USSR, The East Meets The West - Rome, Italy, 10`Eme Rencontres Internationales - Films et Jeunesse Cannes, France

Theater Festivals

´The Dream Maker: Carthage Film Festival - Tunis, Tunisia, Baghdad Theater Festival, Iraq

Written Scripts

Arabic Language
  • The Inspector
  • The Dove Prisoner
  • Destiny
  • Ricky and Rabih
  • Hymn of Life
  • Blood Wedding
  • The Finger
  • Tell Us of Freedom

English language
  • The Old Man and the Mountain
  • The Question
  • Bar of Angels
  • Tell Us of Pain
  • Favela

Portuguese language
  • Favela

Awards
  • Lifetime Achievement Award, Teleliban 2007

For other awards see the filmography list.

Filmography and Theatre

Feature films and Theatre

Year Film Theatre Role Notes Awards
2012 The Last Stop Tarik
2010 "Infinite Desire" (Desir d'Infini) Director
2009 “ Huvelin …” (Stairs of the Resistance) Director – Writer - Producer
2008 "Charbel" (Saint from Lebanon) Writer
2004 "Our Father on Earth" Writer, Producer, Director, Actor Lebanon
1998 "Charbel" Leading Actor/Executive Producer Albert Theater, Lebanon
1994 "I went my way" Writer-Director -Producer Musical Theater Play at Piccadilly Theater –Beirut,Lebanon
1990 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director International Art Festival Carthage-Tunis
Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director International Art Festival Carthage- USATour
David Symphony Hall - San Francisco
Carnagie Hall -New York
1989 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Casino du Liban Theater –Lebanon
1988 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Jarash International Festival-Jordan
Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Casino du Liban Theater-Lebanon
1987 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Casino du Liban Theater-Lebanon
"What About Tomorrow" Producer and Director Odeon Theater -Lebanon
1986 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Jarash International Festival-Jordan
Baghdad Art Festival-Iraq
Carthage International Art Festival – Tunisia
Damascus Art Festival-Syria
"Ricky and Rabih" Writer, Director, Producer and Actor TV Mini Series-Lebanon
1985 "The Dream Maker" Producer and Leading Role Casino du Liban Theater- Lebanon Best Play Carthage Theater Festival Tunis, Tunisia
1984 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director International Carthage Art Festival-Tunisia
1982 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director Jarash International Art Festival-Jordan
"The Three Hostages" Actor, Leading Role TV Mini Series-Lebanon
1981 Majda Al-Roumi Recital Lighting Designer and Director George V Theater-Lebanon
1980 "The Koundlaft Goes to Heaven" Actor-Leading Role Sit-In Theater-Lebanon
1979 "Aggression and Resistance" Writer and Director Short film for cinema and TV-Lebanon
1978 "St. Charbel" Writer and Director Casino du Liban Theater-Lebanon
1974 "Mohamad the Message of God" Actor-one of the leading roles Epic Feature Film-American/British/Arab Production Marocco and Libya
"Foot Steps On the Sand" Actor - Leading Role TV Mini Series –Lebanon
1973 "The Uncertain Tune" Actor - Leading Role TV Mini Series –Lebanon
"Cabaret" Actor - Leading Role Baalbeck Theater-Lebanon
1972 Leading Role: "Destiny" Writer, Producer and Actor Feature Film-Lebanon
"Under the Patronage of Zakkour" Actor, Leading Role Baalbeck Theater-Lebanon
"The Wings of Love" Lighting Designer and Director Byblos International Art Festival – Lebanon
1971 "The Oriental Dance” Writer, Producer and Director Short Film for Cinema-Lebanon Best Short Film Tashkent Film Festival- USSR
"Let Desdemona Die" Actor - Leading role Theater -Lebanon
"Man … Letter … Road" Writer and Director Theater -Lebanon
1970 "Danton' s Death” Actor-Leading Role Theater Play-Lebanon
"Why?" Actor - Leading Role Theater -Lebanon
"Their Fault is they Are Innocent" Actor- Leading Role Theater -Lebanon
1969 "Carte Blanche" Actor-Leading Role Phoenicia Theater -Lebanon
: "Hamlet" Actor and Make-up Baalbeck Theater Festival-Lebanon
"The Wings of Love" Lighting Designer and Director Jbeil International Art Festival-Lebanon"
1968 "The Exception and the Rule" Actor - Leading Role West Hall Theater – Lebanon
"Once Upon a Time" Actor - Leading Role TV Mini Series-Lebanon
1967 “A Farewell to Lebanon" Actor - Leading Role Feature Film-American/Lebanese co-production-Lebanon
"The Secrets of the Red Sea" Actor - one of the leading roles TV Mini Series-O.R.T.F. (French New Work Production)
1966 "The Mute and Love" Actor - Leading Role Feature Film-Lebanon Lebanese Film Academy Award as Best Actor
Best Film Award Tashkent Film Festival – USSR
"I Confess" Actor- Leading Role TV Feature Film-Lebanon
1965 "The Milionares" Actor - Leading Role Feature Film-Lebanon
"Independence Day" Director Theater Play-Lebanon
1964 "Garo" Actor - Leading Role Feature Film-Lebanon Lebanese Film Academy Award as Best Actor
"Interpol Beirut" Actor - Leading role TV Mini Series-Lebanon
1963 "The Bridge of the Moon" Dancer and Actor Operette-Baalbeck International Art Festival -Lebanon
"Macbeth" Actor, Production Manager and Make-up Theater Play-Lebanon
1962 "The Nativity of Jesus Christ" Writer, Producer and Director Theater -Lebanon
1961 "Lady of the Laxpur Lotion",
"Pic-Nic",
"25C White Cap",
"Orphoeus Descending",
"Street Car Named Desire"		 Actor - Leading Role: Senior Dramatic Workshop-New York
1960 "Julius Caesar",
"Othello",
" Return to Kansas City"		 Actor-Leading Role Senior Dramatic Workshop-New York
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References
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