The Ampere cinema in Tripoli will be reopening its doors in the coming weeks. Thanks to the "Bridges of Lebanon" project of Tiro for Arts association the Ampere will soon be offering its activities to the population of Tripoli. Members of the association and volunteers are working on the recovery of the space to open it to the public very soon.
Tiro for Arts association, led by actor and cultural activist Kassem Istanbouli, is based in Tyre, in the South of Lebanon, and has been working on the recovery of abandoned cultural spaces in the South for 8 years. Now they are determined to create a cultural bridge gathering South and North communities through Arts and culture.
“In times of the Internet, cultural content creation is becoming a very important industry in the world. There are countries in which the jobs generated by the "cultural industries" are a very important percentage of their wealth. Tripoli has an educated, creative, resilient young population, and by opening this cultural space we want to offer the possibility of a platform for arts within Lebanon and of an international level, by showing their work and participating in the creation of Lebanon. We want to create opportunities for the young other than dreaming to leave the country” says Kassem Istanbouli.
“ Tiro for Arts association has been denouncing for 8 years the lack of spaces and cultural projects in populations out of Beirut. Populations that enjoyed cinema and theater in the past and that today, when these spaces of inclusive coexistence are most needed, are suffering complete abandonment. Our commitment is to recover these cultural spaces placed out of Beirut because we firmly believe that creating and sharing culture generates identity and strengthens coexistence in Lebanon.”
“We will take advantage of the experience acquired in recent years by our association, which currently manages the recovered Cine Rívoli in Tyre and different cultural activities and festivals, to launch the Cinema Ampere in Tripoli and to create a North-South cultural bridge that facilitates the relationship between North and South artistic communities drawing that plural and decentralized Lebanon that we want.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CgqXsBxrBg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0RNKOnXXqg