Ali Cherri Discusses Soldier Trilogy and Violence in TextWork Conversation

Ali Cherri, a filmmaker and visual artist originally from Beirut and now residing in Paris, engages in a detailed dialogue with writer and critic Kaelen Wilson-Goldie. This exchange is part of the ongoing collaboration between Mousse magazine and TextWork by Fondation Pernod Ricard, which will continue until 2027, featuring discussions between TextWork artists and Mousse contributors. Cherri elaborates on his soldier trilogy, which includes The Watchman (2024), set along the Cyprus border since 1974, and The Sentinel (2026), filmed in France with actors like Eric Cantona and Nahuel Pérez Biscayert. A third film about a Lebanese soldier on the Lebanon-Syria border is in the works. His work probes themes of violence and the exhaustion of witnessing. Cherri reflects on his decade-long transition from Beirut to Paris, his studio in Pantin, and his collaboration with cinematographer Bassem Fayad. His interest in archaeology was sparked by The Digger (2015), filmed in the desert between Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, examining archaeology's role in nation-building. Additionally, he explores the significance of sleep, birds, and cabaret as dreamlike elements in his films. This conversation occurred prior to escalating conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran, which resulted in over a thousand deaths and the displacement of more than a million people in Lebanon.