“Zarri’et Qalbi”: Initiative to promote agriculture

Lebanese movie director, Nadine Labaki launched a campaign yesterday titled “Zarri’et Qalbi” (plant of my heart) gathering a group of public figures in a promotion video produced remotely. Celebrities and relatives of Labaki were filmed planting in different locations and singing to the song ‘Hashisht Albi’ (weed of my heart) from the soundtrack of her famous film ‘Halla’ Lawein’. The campaign as published on Labaki’s social media pages, is a collaboration of many sustainable agricultural initiatives that seek to help citizens wishing to grow seeds and vegetables in their homes or fields. In its reaction to above campaign, Al Akhbar daily wrote, that while many hailed the initiative, the video has sparked wide criticism towards the touristic approach tackling the anguish of the Lebanese people which presented a dreamlike solution to the dilemma as is always the case in Labaki’s films. (Al Akhbar, May 18, 2020)