Contribution
Filmmaker and narrator
Dahdah films his encounters with Richard and narrates them in his own voice. In the edit, he brings his earlier films and video art into Richard’s story.
In development
BENADONIS
Captured by Alex Dahdah
Animated film cover.
About the work
At a house in West Virginia, Alex Dahdah asks Richard, a Lebanese filmmaker weighing a return home, if he can film their meeting for a documentary about local artists. It is the first time the two men appear on camera together.
Later, Richard sends Alex links to his films. He has taken the name Benadonis, which he translates as “son of Adonis.” In one recording, a man lifts his hand. Alex watches it again. When Richard says his next film may require a sacrifice, Alex agrees to keep filming.
- Medium
- Film in development
- Date
- 2018–ongoing
Film availability
The film is in development. Its two-minute trailer is available in Media.
Watch the trailer in MediaAlex’s contribution
Credits
Filmmaker and narrator
Alex Dahdah
Documentary subject
Richard
Media
Read the trailer transcript
I first met Richard at a house in West Virginia. He was a Lebanese filmmaker living in America. He was trying to decide whether to go home.
He agreed to let me film our encounter as part of a Meet Local Artists documentary I was creating. This was the first time the two of us were caught together on camera.
Later, I’d set up the camera for our interviews, and the films he made were sent to me via text, with a WeTransfer link.
Then he started calling himself Benadonis. “Son of Adonis,” he said. He spoke of the old gods in Lebanon as if one of them might still answer him.
In one film, a man lifts his hand. And I kept going back to that gesture, and I asked him, “Are you worshipping God, or are you worshipping the idea of yourself worshipping God?”
He called one of his next films The Reflections of a New God. He thought the film might require a sacrifice.
We agreed I’d film him during that process. I’d spent all that time waiting for him to look into the lens. He finally did.
I wondered. What had I captured?
Recognition
No recognition records are currently listed.
