Architecture At Gunpoint

Architecture at Gunpoint: Navigating Beirut's Concrete Dreams

Bernard Khoury is more than Lebanon's most famous living architect; he is a provocative narrator of his country's tumultuous soul through concrete, steel, and glass. Our film, Architecture at Gunpoint, is a deep, immersive dive into Khoury's life and work, charting his career against the backdrop of Beirut's cyclical destruction and rebirth.

The documentary meticulously explores how his bold, often controversial structures—like the iconic B018 or the Interdesign Building—are not merely buildings but powerful statements on memory, trauma, and the relentless drive to forge a future amidst political and social instability. We navigate the dangerous encounters his projects provoke, challenging entrenched historical narratives and confronting the painful legacies of Lebanon's civil war and ongoing crises.

The film captures the palpable tension between Khoury's visionary ambition and the harsh realities of a city where urban planning is often a casualty of conflict. Our Blackship Studios crew approached this project with profound respect for its sensitive subject matter, employing a cinematic language that mirrors Khoury's own architectural aesthetic—bold, raw, and unflinching. We utilized a mix of intimate interviews, sweeping architectural cinematography, and archival footage to contextualize Khoury's work within Lebanon's complex socio-political tapestry.

The crew's spirit was tested as we filmed in locations still bearing the scars of conflict, requiring not only technical skill but also deep cultural sensitivity and a commitment to ethical storytelling. Architecture at Gunpoint is a powerful exploration of how architecture can become an act of resistance and a form of public discourse in a nation perpetually on the edge.