Daoud Hariri

PostED ON 20.10.2024

BRIEF BIO: “Integrate, learn French and get involved as a volunteer”. For Daoud Hariri, it is a matter of principle to devote time to others, and a way of expressing gratitude toward his host country, France. Freshly arrived in Lyon just six months ago, this young Syrian family man never misses an opportunity to pay tribute to the country of “equality”, as he puts it. When war broke out in Syria, Daoud Hariri was a student at Al-Baath University in the city of Homs. He fled with his children to Jordan, where he worked and obtained a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in intellectual property rights. In 2023, his daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia: with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he was granted refugee status in France. His little girl then received the necessary medical care. Since then, this young man has made it a point of honour to devote his time to others. Alongside his job as an ice-cream maker, Daoud Hariri quickly joined the festival's team of volunteers, a great way for this big admirer of filmmaker Jacques Demy to improve his French. Welcome to Lyon!

MY FAVOURITE DIRECTORS: I really like the films of Jacques Demy and filmmaker Youssef Chahine. I love Egyptian actress Nadia Lutfi.

THE MOVIE THEATRE WHERE I DISCOVERED THE CINEMA: C’était le cinéma « Sham » à Damas. Il est situé au cœur de la capitale et était considéré comme l'un des cinémas les plus anciens et les plus importants de la ville.

MY GO-TO MOVIE: The “Sham” cinema in Damascus. Located in the heart of the capital, it was considered to be one of the oldest and most important movie theatres in the city.

WHY I VOLUNTEER: I love volunteering and meeting new people.  I've been able to make friends here of different nationalities. It's important for me, as a newcomer to France, to be able to integrate. During my studies, I did a lot of voluntary work with local community organisations in Jordan and with student organisations.

MY TASKS AT THE FESTIVAL: Welcoming festivalgoers to the Village and distributing programmes during events.

 Interviewed by Laura Lépine

© Laura Lépine