Mounia Akl: A lebanese cinematic force

Mounia Akl: A visionary director shaping global cinema

If you don’t know who Mounia Akl is yet, it’s likely you will soon. She directed the trending Netflix series House of Guinness and acted in A Sad and Beautiful World, a new critically acclaimed film selected as this year’s Lebanon Oscar entry. Mounia is also a screenwriter and director of her films, most notably Costa Brava, Lebanon, which picked up numerous awards. Currently, she divides her time between Beirut and London, where she is in the middle of directing a comedy of six episodes for the American entertainment company A24.

Mounia’s reputation as a director known for authenticity and intimate storytelling caught on quickly after Costa Brava, Lebanon. She went on to direct two British TV series: Boiling Point (a spin-off of the film) and The Responders. Then came House of Guinness, a historical drama created by Steven Knight which tells the story of the beer dynasty Guinness family set in the 19th century in Dublin. Mounia directed the last three episodes of the season (the first five episodes were directed by Tom Shankland). For this role she spent a lot of time with the actors exploring the different layers of their vivid and complex characters. She sought to reveal the vulnerability and human side to the characters, whom she says all have dark secrets. “It’s a show about masks in many ways,” says Mounia. “I was excited to show the audience the secrets through the camera.” Before shooting, Mounia did extensive research as well, learning about the Guinness dynasty and Irish history in particular. “The Irish and the Lebanese have a common history of fighting colonialism. Fighting for your own existence and your independence within your own home. Perhaps this is also why I particularly related to the Irish actors in the film,” says Mounia.

From Beirut to Hollywood: The creative journey of Mounia Akl

Looking back, Mounia admits she didn’t exactly plan on a career in cinema, but as a child growing up in Beirut, watching movies became a family ritual. “We used to watch movies together instead of bedtime stories,” says Mounia, who credits her artistic family of musicians and architects for inspiring her childhood. In fact, it was her parents who encouraged her to take theatre classes at the age of 18 to overcome shyness. It was at the theatre classes where she met Cyril Aris, who directed A Sad and Beautiful World, and a long-standing friendship and artistic collaboration between the two started. Mounia enrolled in ALBA and studied architecture but began experimenting with filmmaking along with Cyril in her free time. “I was an architecture student during the week and a filmmaker on the weekend,” she laughs. “I was pretty burned out by the time I graduated!” Together they filmed Beirut I Love You, a short web film, which was picked up by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) and became 35 TV episodes. Afterwards, at 22, Mounia along with Cyril both got accepted to Columbia University in New York and completed their Masters of Fine Arts in Directing and Screenwriting.

Mounia often works with the same people on her different projects, which could be seen as a testament to her loyalty and enduring friendships. Aside from her repeated collaborations with Cyril Aris, she has worked with Lebanese cinematographer Joe Saade on her films Submarine, El Gran Libano, and Costa Brava, Lebanon. She brought him with her to film House of Guinness. Moreover, she co-wrote Costa Brava, Lebanon with Clara Roquet, a Spanish filmmaker, whom she became friends with at Columbia film school. “We were both Mediterranean girls away from home for the first time. She became the first friend I made in New York,” she recalls. Mounia forged a close friendship with many of the leading actors in House of Guinness, especially Emily Fairn who plays Anne Guinness (Mounia directed Emily in The Responder and again in the upcoming comedy series for A24 written by Leo Reich). In fact, when Mounia attended the British Film Institute (BFI) screening of A Sad and Beautiful World in London recently, Emily, along with actors James Norton, Ann Skelly, and Fionn O’Shea, all came to the event to support Mounia.

Authenticity and emotional depth: Mounia Akl’s cinematic signature

“When you have a creative collaboration and friendship that is beautiful and enriching and you are connected, you want to keep that relationship growing,” explains Mounia. Perhaps the way she remains connected to people is why she stays grounded in the otherwise cutthroat film world, which could be superficial and a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Mounia tries to stay away from the glitz and the noise and remains focused on her work, where she spends most of her time, often juggling several projects. While she will do the promotional work and the red carpet, when necessary, she admits it’s not her Favorite part of the job.

What I love is celebrating the work with the team and the crew and showing the work to an audience. My joy is from making things, being on set, and being in the edit room, all of that.

While Mounia has acted in various projects, she considers herself primarily a director and writer. She doesn’t get swayed by the big names or the big budget of a production, but more by the connection she has with the script. “It has to be exciting. I’m usually drawn to stories about people falling apart under the pressures of life. The beauty and the pain you get to see when you open up people and you see what is inside,” explains Mounia, who is currently writing her next feature film which will take place in Lebanon. It is going to be a love story; further than that she would not elaborate for now, as it is still in the first draft phase. Many are wondering will she be directing Season 2 of House of Guinness? “We don’t know,” shrugs Mounia with a smile. "It has not been announced yet. Right now, we are still in each other’s lives and celebrating the success of the first season".