<font size="2"><img alt="" src="cid:part1.03050705.08070600@mecfilm.de"> </font>
<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><br><font style="FONT-SIZE: 15pt" size="2">Press Release, August 4<sup>th</sup> 2006</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2"><b>Re: Video Letter from Beirut's NGO - network SAMIDOUN</b></font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Dear Madame, dear Sir, </font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Beirut based film collective Beirut DC is addressing the international community in a four-minute video-letter "From Beirut to... those who love us".
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<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">The collective is part of grassroots coalition SAMIDOUN which set up the first relief centre for refugees in Beirut, the last count hold around 10,000 internally displaced persons who have fled from Southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut. It's various committees, like the medical team, the meal distribution team or the social intervention team carry out various projects in support of the refugees. (see more below)
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<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">The video-letter raises awareness for the situation in Lebanon and shows alternative images to the ones we see in the media on a daily basis. Beirut DC aims the film to be shown in cinemas and cultural spaces all over the world, encourages a wide distribution of the work and welcomes TV stations to acquire the broadcast rights. All revenue from TV-sales will be entirely used to finance the work of SAMIDOUN.
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<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">The first TV transmission will be made by ARTE on August 8<sup>th. </sup>In Germany the first art-house theatres start showing the film before to the regular film screenings by next week to create awareness and help fund-rising for SAMIDOUN.
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<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><br><font size="2">You can watch the video on </font></font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="http://www.beirutletters.org/" target="_blank">
<font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">http://www.beirutletters.org</font></a></u></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">and order a free DVD with English and French subtitles at </font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="mailto:info@mecfilm.de" target="_blank">
<font face="Arial, sans-serif">info@mecfilm.de</font></a></u></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> or +49-251-663346 (contact: Irit Neidhardt / Germany).</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><font size="2">Donations are welcomed at<br></font><font color="#000000" size="2">Samidoun c/o Green Line Association<br>- Bank Name: Bank of Koweit and Arab World
<br>- Swift Code: BKAWLBBE<br>- Account Number: 6189003</font></font></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Please don't hesitate to contact us for further information, for interviews or photos. </font>
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<p lang="en-US" style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial, sans-serif" size="2">With kind regards</font></font></p>
<p style="MARGIN-TOP: 0.49cm; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.49cm"><font size="2"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">Jad Abi Khalil (Beirut DC), phone: +961-3-853625, mail: </font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="mailto:beirutdc@inco.com.lb" target="_blank">
<font face="Arial, sans-serif">beirutdc@inco.com.lb</font></a></u></font><font face="Arial, sans-serif"> or </font><font color="#0000ff"><u><a href="mailto:jadabikhalil@gmail.com" target="_blank"><font face="Arial, sans-serif">
jadabikhalil@gmail.com</font></a></u></font></font></p><br clear="all"><br><font size="2">-- <br>| brahim dagher | </font>