Lucien Bourjeily

“There is an anatomical dysfunction in today's Lebanon, and we have been stuck in a socio-political vicious circle for decades.”

“Even if censorship might encourage creative ways to circumvent it, it still slows down progress and our ability to realise our full creative potential. And that is why I vehemently fight against it.”

“If you want to get into the shoes of someone, it's not just about seeing and hearing. It is also about what you touch and what you smell. Smell is so specific and so powerful. And this is the beauty of immersive theatre - it's something you cannot get in any other art form. I think this is the real future for theatre.”

“Theatre has so many competitors, it's no longer enough to see and hear a play. You want to be able to touch and smell it, too.”

“People are so accustomed now to social networking. Now everybody has custom-made news for him or her. So everybody is a content maker and a content reactor.”

“Art is where we make a stand. If we don't make it there, freedom of expression is lost for everyone - for artists, for journalists, and for everyday people.”

“I never made a clear-cut in my mind between theatre and film, as I always felt that at the heart of both of them is storytelling and acting.”

“Once you get used to censorship, sometimes you self-censor.”

“Censorship constrains art and limits its impact as much as it does with all free thought.”

“I truly believe that art can be an agent of change and has been, throughout history, a tool to enlighten the individual and society.”