Libyan filmmaker Mohammed Makhloof, finally had his dream come true— a film festival in his hometown of Benghazi. He returned to Benghazi after three decades in exile because of his outspoken opposition to Muammar Gaddafi.

In the beginning of his career, Makhloof worked as a journalist, but continued looking for a language closer to the people, finding his niche in film directing in 1993. Six years later, he founded the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival (ASIFF) in London.

Libyan filmmaker Mohammed Makhloof, finally had his dream come true— a film festival in his hometown of Benghazi. He returned to Benghazi after three decades in exile because of his outspoken opposition to Muammar Gaddafi.

In the beginning of his career, Makhloof worked as a journalist, but continued looking for a language closer to the people, finding his niche in film directing in 1993. Six years later, he founded the Arab Screen Independent Film Festival (ASIFF) in London.

After Gaddafi was toppled, he returned to Benghazi and organized the third ASIFF on February 19 – 23 there.

Mr. Makhloof, can you tell us about your early career?

I was 16 when I became the youngest journalist in Libya. I was sent to a one-year training course in Dar Assayad Publishing House in Beirut, during which time I wrote for Haqeeka newspaper headed by late Rashad El-Huni. Among the newspaper writers were Sadeq Naihoum and Khalifa Al-Fakhiri. It was the most famous newspaper in Libya in the 1970s.

After I returned from Lebanon, we start feeling that the regime was a danger to its opponents. My family advised me to go abroad, so I traveled to Britain in 1975 on the pretext of studying and started my opposition. A while later, I joined the National Democratic Assembly, and then in 1985, I joined the National Front for the Salvation of Libya but left it in 2001 to become an independent opponent. 

How was your life in exile, as an artist who carried his homeland inside?

It was a very tough trip, but a man of principles cannot make compromises; he can either continue or fall. I chose to continue because I knew that my homeland and people were right and that the oppressor would end. History is a lesson dictators do not understand. I believed that Gaddafi’s time would come to an end, but many people fell and did not endure exile.

How did you convey your feelings in  your films and adapt the text to communicate your vision to the people?

I am neither an artist nor a director, and have never studied direction. I am a media professional who has decided to use media as a struggle and means to defend his people. This was my starting point, where I started making films about Libya. I directed many films for Al Jazeera English, including the film “A Homeland in Exile” in 2007, which talks about exiled Libyans living abroad who were likely to die outside their homeland without seeing it again.

You directed a film about opponent Mansur Kikhia (whose body was recently found after his disappearance in 1993) entitled “My Name is Human.” Tell us about it?

In 1993, I attended a conference of the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR) in Cairo. I was invited as a member of the AOHR Organizing Committee in London. Among the attendees was my friend and struggler Mansour Kikhia, God rests his soul, and when I returned to London, he stayed there for two days, and then disappeared.

I was so sad because he was supposed to return with me to London and then travel with me to America so that I could write a book and make a film about him. I had the desire to make a film, but I did not study direction as I mentioned. When Mansour was kidnapped, I decided to make the film and started to learn montage and filmmaking.

The film was produced by Libyans who either were living in the UK or came from Libya specifically to pay money to complete production; they were friends of Mansour’s family. This was my beginning with filmmaking, and then I started making films with a comprehensive human nature, mostly about Libya.

You founded several festivals like Dubai Film Festival, ASIFF whose third festival was held in Benghazi, and others. How did you transfer your experience to Benghazi festival?

It was my dream to hold ASIFF in Libya, but since I was banned from entering Libya, I started it in London, and it was the first Arab film festival there. With support and sponsorship of Al Jazeera, it moved to Doha in 2001 where it became the first film festival to be held in the Arabian Gulf, but Gaddafi was behind deporting me from Doha.

On the last day of the festival in March 2001, it was leaked to the press that Gaddafi addressed the Qatari government about me, and he said literally, “How do you allow this stray dog to hold a festival?” About 500 young Arab guests issued a statement against him.

After the end of the festival, however, I was deported in one way or another. I told them that I knew that they would not break their relations with Libya because of me, so I would leave. So I went to Beirut.

The Arab Spring has dazzled the world and has been the beginning of a new awareness. How has your outlook for Arab youth and your artistic vision been affected?

Firstly, I always believe in the youth and their ability to make a change, whether cultural or political. Libya is a great model, and this revolution has increased my hope. We are now in the second phase of cultural building, and we must build culture through young people; there should be new ideas, new eyes and new minds. That is why I have moved to Libya to work with the Libyan youth, in order to establish the image culture since we are now in the era of image, the current queen of arts and media.

For example, when Al Jazeera aired my film “A Homeland in Exile,” about three to four million people around the world watched it. My aim was to let the West see what was happening in Libya. I included many scenes of Libyans hanging and killing. I applied exactly what I said, “The use of media as a means of struggle,” since I believed that media arms should be directed to defend the Arab people.

Libyan cinema was and still is absent even since the revolution. How do you see its future?

Visual culture has historically frightened dictators since Hitler brought Goebbels and let him control the media, and this also applies to Arab dictators. In Libya, there had been a cinema institution that produced some films, but Gaddafi and his followers controlled it and Libya no more had cinema.

The amazing thing in the festival is that young Libyans from all over Libya sent me films; some of them need a little training and refinement and we will have Libyan youth directors. Next year, they will be able to participate in this festival or international festivals. Honestly, I am astonished.

This festival is a rehearsal for an idea I presented, which is establishing a media training organization (video – press – radio). It is a first step, especially if we obtain the support of Benghazi Local Council, and we will start this project here in Benghazi. 

Are you thinking of annually holding ASIFF in Benghazi?

We of course wish to have a festival in Benghazi like those in Dubai, Carthage and Cairo, but this depends on support. We are thinking of showing the ASIFF’s ten best films in Libyan cities.

How was the Libyan women’s participation in ASIFF?

Two films for two Libyan young women from Tripoli and Benghazi were showed, in addition to a short film (about five minutes long) for young girls whom I liked to give a chance. ASIFF opened with a film for an Algerian British director, entitled “Women’s Voices in the Libyan Revolution.” Women were strongly present at ASIFF.