Darine Hamze
Encyclopedia
Darine Hamze; is a Lebanese
actress, director and poet. She is one of the well known actresses in the Arab world
credited for taking on diverse roles and in different languages and countries. She has been working in film, television and theatre since 1998.
, Lebanon. She faced a childhood of constant traveling, changing of schools, between Souk El Gharb
, Beirut
and France
during the civil war
. She was finally sent to the United Kingdom
(England
), between the age of 8 and 13, to a British boarding school
(ISC
) in Bath, along with her two brothers.
During her time in England, Darine discovered Shakespeare's theatre and her early admiration for performance. Evidently her first appearance on a stage was during this young age in Bath participating in all school plays.
In 1996 Darine Hamze applied and was accepted to the Fine Arts Academy of the Lebanese University
, Theatre Department. Her first play performance in Lebanon began in 1997 in "Alraghif" directed by Talal Dirjani. The following year, 1998, was a very busy year. Darine began with a play performance in the play "Qana's Border" by Mashhour Mostapha. She also became the main actress singer for the best renowned "Lebanese Puppet Theatre" group directed by Karim Dakroub. Along with that were participations in international puppet festivals and workshops that had her travel to most of Europe's capitals to perform. Moreover, during that same year, she had her first part as a main role in a Lebanese TV series called "Talbeen Alkourob" screened on LBCI.
Next, 1999, was the year of her graduation with a BA
in Theatre Arts (acting/directing). It was also the year Darine won the first prize award for her graduation film "Flat, Pale, White Hands" at The Future TV Academic Excellence Awards. This event helped her discover how much she admires camera and film, and from this moment on she was convinced that her career will include the big screen.
Her new love of film expanded more as she acted the main role in the film "Her Absurdity" by Chadi Zein in the year 2000. She continued taking on theatre proposals by acting in the object-moving theatre play "THE" by Sam Bardawil the same year. The following year, 2001, Darine travelled back to London that year to publish her poetry art book "7am Blink" on the web launched 111101 (London, UK) in collaboration with the painter/illustrator, Rafic Majzoub.
In 2002, Darine travelled to New York
where she attended film making classes at Columbia University
. There she acted in the short student film “The Park” directed by Nadine Khouri.
Her connection with England led her, in 2003, to apply to the British Council's MA scholarships. She was accepted and travelled to London, UK for an MA
in Media Arts Practice at the University of Westminster
. Her two years as an MA student in London gave birth to two video installation exhibition shows she prepared: “I Axis” at 291 Gallery and “Flesh Exits” at The Lennox Gallery. There she was able to build her directing and editing skills and created a new short experimental film ‘’Skin Plasticity’’. She also traveled to Ireland
and worked as an assistant director
in the short 16mm film “Killing the Afternoon” directed by Margaret Corkery.
In 2005, Darine returned to Beirut with her MA from London and directly started giving courses in acting, editing and media arts in a number of Universities. She also worked as a director/editor in two cinema critique episodes in the program "Al-Adasa Al-Arabia", for Al-Jazeera TV.
Her acting passion, however, kept peeking back, and the next year, 2006, Darine accepted a main role, “Aayda”, in the Lebanese TV series "Hkeyit Aayda - Aayda'’s story" for LBCI. That same year, she participated with her idol (top Lebanese artist-singer/icon), Fairuz
, as an actress in a choral composition in Fairuz's Musical play "Sah Alnom", Baalbeck International Festival
.
From then on, Darine concentrated on acting alone. Thus, the following year 2007 was spent acting two main roles in two Iranian film productions being shot in Lebanon: “Last song of Sinbad” directed by Arash Moayenian, and “Rebirth” directed by Abbas Rafie. This gave her the opportunity to grow into an acting career in Iranian cinema
, in 2008, where she was given the main role co-starring Iranian superstar actor, Parviz Parastui, in a 35mm feature film "The Book of Law - Kitab Kanoun" directed by Maziar Miri
. Her character "Juliet" was a foreigner who marries an Iranian and moves there to live with him, only ending up criticizing the whole Iranian Islamic society. It was a great challenge traveling between Lebanon
and Iran
and learning by heart a full text in the Persian language
that she had never heard or spoken before.
During that same year she acted as main cast in a video clip "Hamil Outer Bladi" with one of her childhood Lebanese idol singers, the famous theatre artist Ghassan Saliba, composed by Osama Rahbani and directed by Joe Abou Eid. She also received a main part as Joumana in the TV series "Mogamarat Jad Wa Nour - Adventures of Jad & Nour" for OTV
, directed by Fadi Kadouh; as well as another role in the LBCI TV series, "Shayeh Min Alkowa" directed by Elie Maalouf.
The year 2008 was ended with a main role in the film "Shola Cohen - The Pearl / Al Louhlouha", featuring the story of the real life events of a Jewish Lebanese spy, Shola Cohen, who was captured in the 1950s under the reign of President Fuad Chehab
. This film was produced by LBCI and directed by Fouad Khoury.
2009 started with the shooting of "Al-Dawama - The Loop", a Syrian TV
drama series with Darine as main role actress starring as Nadia Najmi – a high class sophisticated divorcee
of half-French half-Syrian origins. Al-Dawama was written by the late Mamdouh Aadwan and directed by Alouthana Sobh. The plot spins around Syria's revolutions and political surrounding in the late 1940-50s while illustrating a beautiful love story that ends dramatically in that era.
In the same year, Darine was a guest star in Iranian film, “Saturday's Hunter” by director Parviz Sheikh Tadi and nominated in the Fajr Film Festival
.
2010 she acted as main role in “Selim w Distit Harim”, a comedy TV Series for MBC
with a number of different Arab actors from Egypt
, Kuwait
, Syria
and Lebanon
. She will also appear as guest star in the TV Series “Hawamir Alsahraa” for Rotana Khalijiya these coming months.
Currently Darine Hamze is preparing for a new Lebanese-French film projects which will be shot this autumn in Lebanon.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
actress, director and poet. She is one of the well known actresses in the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
credited for taking on diverse roles and in different languages and countries. She has been working in film, television and theatre since 1998.
Biography
Darine Hamze, was born as a second child to a flight engineer father and a housewife interior decorator mother, in the mountains of Souk El GharbSouk El Gharb
Souk El Gharb is a village in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Aley District, in the country of Lebanon. The name of the village translates to "Western Market."...
, Lebanon. She faced a childhood of constant traveling, changing of schools, between Souk El Gharb
Souk El Gharb
Souk El Gharb is a village in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Aley District, in the country of Lebanon. The name of the village translates to "Western Market."...
, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the civil war
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multifaceted civil war in Lebanon. The war lasted from 1975 to 1990 and resulted in an estimated 150,000 to 230,000 civilian fatalities. Another one million people were wounded, and today approximately 350,000 people remain displaced. There was also a mass exodus of...
. She was finally sent to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), between the age of 8 and 13, to a British boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
(ISC
Independent Schools Council
The Independent Schools Council is a non-profit organisation that represents 1,234 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector...
) in Bath, along with her two brothers.
During her time in England, Darine discovered Shakespeare's theatre and her early admiration for performance. Evidently her first appearance on a stage was during this young age in Bath participating in all school plays.
In 1996 Darine Hamze applied and was accepted to the Fine Arts Academy of the Lebanese University
Lebanese University
The Lebanese University is the only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. Founded in 1951, it has 17 faculties as of 2006 and serves various cultural, religious, and social groups of students and teachers....
, Theatre Department. Her first play performance in Lebanon began in 1997 in "Alraghif" directed by Talal Dirjani. The following year, 1998, was a very busy year. Darine began with a play performance in the play "Qana's Border" by Mashhour Mostapha. She also became the main actress singer for the best renowned "Lebanese Puppet Theatre" group directed by Karim Dakroub. Along with that were participations in international puppet festivals and workshops that had her travel to most of Europe's capitals to perform. Moreover, during that same year, she had her first part as a main role in a Lebanese TV series called "Talbeen Alkourob" screened on LBCI.
Next, 1999, was the year of her graduation with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Theatre Arts (acting/directing). It was also the year Darine won the first prize award for her graduation film "Flat, Pale, White Hands" at The Future TV Academic Excellence Awards. This event helped her discover how much she admires camera and film, and from this moment on she was convinced that her career will include the big screen.
Her new love of film expanded more as she acted the main role in the film "Her Absurdity" by Chadi Zein in the year 2000. She continued taking on theatre proposals by acting in the object-moving theatre play "THE" by Sam Bardawil the same year. The following year, 2001, Darine travelled back to London that year to publish her poetry art book "7am Blink" on the web launched 111101 (London, UK) in collaboration with the painter/illustrator, Rafic Majzoub.
In 2002, Darine travelled to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where she attended film making classes at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. There she acted in the short student film “The Park” directed by Nadine Khouri.
Her connection with England led her, in 2003, to apply to the British Council's MA scholarships. She was accepted and travelled to London, UK for an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Media Arts Practice at the University of Westminster
University of Westminster
The University of Westminster is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. Its origins go back to the foundation of the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838, and it was awarded university status in 1992.The university's headquarters and original campus are based on Regent...
. Her two years as an MA student in London gave birth to two video installation exhibition shows she prepared: “I Axis” at 291 Gallery and “Flesh Exits” at The Lennox Gallery. There she was able to build her directing and editing skills and created a new short experimental film ‘’Skin Plasticity’’. She also traveled to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and worked as an assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
in the short 16mm film “Killing the Afternoon” directed by Margaret Corkery.
In 2005, Darine returned to Beirut with her MA from London and directly started giving courses in acting, editing and media arts in a number of Universities. She also worked as a director/editor in two cinema critique episodes in the program "Al-Adasa Al-Arabia", for Al-Jazeera TV.
Her acting passion, however, kept peeking back, and the next year, 2006, Darine accepted a main role, “Aayda”, in the Lebanese TV series "Hkeyit Aayda - Aayda'’s story" for LBCI. That same year, she participated with her idol (top Lebanese artist-singer/icon), Fairuz
Fairuz
Nouhad Wadi Haddad , famously known as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer who is widely considered to be the most famous living singer in the Arab world and one of the best known of all time...
, as an actress in a choral composition in Fairuz's Musical play "Sah Alnom", Baalbeck International Festival
Baalbeck International Festival
The Baalbeck International Festival is the oldest and best-known cultural event in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean. Since 1955, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have flocked to the city of Baalbek in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon to attend the annual festival...
.
From then on, Darine concentrated on acting alone. Thus, the following year 2007 was spent acting two main roles in two Iranian film productions being shot in Lebanon: “Last song of Sinbad” directed by Arash Moayenian, and “Rebirth” directed by Abbas Rafie. This gave her the opportunity to grow into an acting career in Iranian cinema
Cinema of Iran
The cinema of Iran is a flourishing film industry with a long history. Many popular commercial films are annually made in Iran, and Iranian art films win praise around the world....
, in 2008, where she was given the main role co-starring Iranian superstar actor, Parviz Parastui, in a 35mm feature film "The Book of Law - Kitab Kanoun" directed by Maziar Miri
Maziar Miri
Maziar Miri is a renowned Iranian filmmaker.Maziar Miri graduated in editing, and started his career with making documentaries about Iran. He made his first short film in 1996, and worked for several years in the editing department of Iranian TV, channel 2. He made his debut feature film in 2000...
. Her character "Juliet" was a foreigner who marries an Iranian and moves there to live with him, only ending up criticizing the whole Iranian Islamic society. It was a great challenge traveling between Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and learning by heart a full text in the Persian language
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
that she had never heard or spoken before.
During that same year she acted as main cast in a video clip "Hamil Outer Bladi" with one of her childhood Lebanese idol singers, the famous theatre artist Ghassan Saliba, composed by Osama Rahbani and directed by Joe Abou Eid. She also received a main part as Joumana in the TV series "Mogamarat Jad Wa Nour - Adventures of Jad & Nour" for OTV
Orange TV
OTV is a publicly-traded television station in Lebanon.It began broadcasting on July 20, 2007 on the Arabsat satellite, on the 11823MHz frequency. OTV Launched officially in 2008 after a testing period of almost six months. OTV now covers the world through different broadcasting channels for...
, directed by Fadi Kadouh; as well as another role in the LBCI TV series, "Shayeh Min Alkowa" directed by Elie Maalouf.
The year 2008 was ended with a main role in the film "Shola Cohen - The Pearl / Al Louhlouha", featuring the story of the real life events of a Jewish Lebanese spy, Shola Cohen, who was captured in the 1950s under the reign of President Fuad Chehab
Fuad Chehab
Fuad Chehab Fuad Chehab Fuad Chehab (name also spelt Fouad Shihab, or Chehab, depending on transliteration from the original Arabic, (March 19, 1902 - April 25, 1973) was the President of the Lebanese Republic from 1958 to 1964...
. This film was produced by LBCI and directed by Fouad Khoury.
2009 started with the shooting of "Al-Dawama - The Loop", a Syrian TV
Syrian Television
Syrian Television is the official television broadcaster of Syria. It was formed in 1960, when Syria and Egypt were part of the United Arab Republic...
drama series with Darine as main role actress starring as Nadia Najmi – a high class sophisticated divorcee
Divorcee
Divorcee, refers to a person whose marriage has ended in divorce, a legal dissolution of marriage before death by either spouse. The feminine form is "divorcée", and the masculine "divorcé". At one time the term had negative cultural and religious associations...
of half-French half-Syrian origins. Al-Dawama was written by the late Mamdouh Aadwan and directed by Alouthana Sobh. The plot spins around Syria's revolutions and political surrounding in the late 1940-50s while illustrating a beautiful love story that ends dramatically in that era.
In the same year, Darine was a guest star in Iranian film, “Saturday's Hunter” by director Parviz Sheikh Tadi and nominated in the Fajr Film Festival
25th Fajr International Film Festival
The 25th International Fajr Film Festival was held from 1–11 February 2007 in Tehran, Iran as part of the annual International Fajr Film Festivals.-National:*Crystal Simorgh Prize for Best Film: The Third Day produced by Alireza Jalali...
.
2010 she acted as main role in “Selim w Distit Harim”, a comedy TV Series for MBC
Middle East Broadcasting Center
The Middle East Broadcasting Center Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. MBC Group provides multiple channels of information, interaction and entertainment...
with a number of different Arab actors from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. She will also appear as guest star in the TV Series “Hawamir Alsahraa” for Rotana Khalijiya these coming months.
Currently Darine Hamze is preparing for a new Lebanese-French film projects which will be shot this autumn in Lebanon.
Filmography
- 1998 - Talbeen El Orb - (TV Series- LBCI)
- 1999 - Flat, Pale, White Hands - (short film- Lebanese University *As Director)
- 2000 - Her Absurdity - (short film- Lebanese University)
- 2002 - The Park - (short film- Columbia University, NY)
- 2003 - I-Axis - (short film- University of Westminster, UK *As Director)
- 2004 - Skin Plasticity - (short film- University of Westminster, UK *As Director)
- 2006 - Hkeyit Aayda - (TV Series- LBCI)
- 2006 - Alaadasa Alarabia - (documentary- Al-Jazeera *As director)
- 2007 - 911 - (TV Series- LBC SAT)
- 2007 - Last Song of Sinbad - (Iranian film- fiction- HDHigh-definition videoHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
) - 2008 - Rebirth - (Iranian film- fiction- HD)
- 2008 - Hamil Outer Bladi - (Music Video- 35mm)
- 2008 - Shola Cohen, The Pearl - (Film- fiction/biography- HD)
- 2008 - Drabzin - (short film- Notre Dame University)
- 2009 - Adventures of Jad & Nour - (TV Series- OTV)
- 2009 - Shayeh Min Alqouwa - (TV Series- LBCI)
- 2009 - Al-Dawama - (TV Series- Syria TVSyrian TelevisionSyrian Television is the official television broadcaster of Syria. It was formed in 1960, when Syria and Egypt were part of the United Arab Republic...
) - - 2009 - The Book of Law - (Iranian feature film- fiction- 35mm)
- 2009 - Majnouni - (short film- Université Saint-JosephUniversité Saint-JosephSaint Joseph University is a private Catholic higher institute of education founded by the Jesuits in 1875 in Beirut, Lebanon, known for its school of medicine and its hospital, Hôtel-Dieu de France. The Lebanese state officially recognizes the university and the diplomas it grants in accord with...
) - 2010 - Aala El-aahed - (TV Series- New TV)
- 2010 - Saturday's Hunter - (Iranian feature film- fiction- HD)
- 2010 - Selim w Distit Harim - (TV Series- MBCMiddle East Broadcasting CenterThe Middle East Broadcasting Center Group is the first private free-to-air satellite broadcasting company in the Arab World which was launched in London in 1991 and later moved to its headquarters in Dubai in 2002. MBC Group provides multiple channels of information, interaction and entertainment...
) - 2010 - South Of Heaven - (Iranian film- fiction- 35mm)
- 2011 - Al-Ghaliboun
- 2011 - Beirut Hotel