{"id":775230,"date":"2026-05-16T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/?p=775230"},"modified":"2026-05-15T12:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T12:42:21","slug":"a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/775230\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lebanese Director Turns Her Mother\u2019s Adolescence in South Lebanon Into a Sitcom"},"content":{"rendered":"    <button class=\"sideconvo-button button-compact\">         <svg         xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"         width=\"64\"         height=\"64\"         viewBox=\"0 0 64 64\"         fill=\"none\">         <g clip-path=\"url(#clip0_5407_120)\">             <mask                 id=\"mask0_5407_120\"                 style=\"mask-type:luminance\"                 maskUnits=\"userSpaceOnUse\"                 x=\"0\"                 y=\"0\"                 width=\"64\"                 height=\"64\">                 <path d=\"M64 0H0V64H64V0Z\" fill=\"white\"><\/path>             <\/mask>             <g mask=\"url(#mask0_5407_120)\">                 <path                     d=\"M38.4702 26.64L38.5252 26.775C40.3652 31.435 44.0902 35.165 48.7502 37L48.8852 37.055L48.7502 37.11C44.0902 38.95 40.3602 42.675 38.5252 47.335L38.4702 47.47L38.4152 47.335C36.5752 42.675 32.8502 38.945 28.1902 37.11L28.0552 37.055L28.1902 37C32.8502 35.16 36.5802 31.435 38.4152 26.775L38.4702 26.64ZM38.4702 14.815C38.0702 14.815 37.6702 15.035 37.5002 15.475L33.7702 24.935C32.4352 28.325 29.7502 31.01 26.3602 32.345L16.9002 36.075C16.0202 36.425 16.0202 37.67 16.9002 38.02L26.3602 41.75C29.7502 43.085 32.4352 45.77 33.7702 49.16L37.5002 58.62C37.6752 59.06 38.0752 59.28 38.4702 59.28C38.8652 59.28 39.2702 59.06 39.4402 58.62L43.1702 49.16C44.5052 45.77 47.1902 43.085 50.5802 41.75L60.0402 38.02C60.9202 37.67 60.9202 36.425 60.0402 36.075L50.5802 32.345C47.1902 31.01 44.5052 28.325 43.1702 24.935L39.4402 15.475C39.2652 15.035 38.8652 14.815 38.4702 14.815ZM14.4702 29.125L11.9802 24.57C11.9452 24.505 11.8902 24.45 11.8202 24.41L7.26516 21.92C6.62516 21.57 6.62516 20.655 7.26516 20.305L11.8202 17.815C11.8852 17.78 11.9402 17.725 11.9752 17.66L14.4652 13.105C14.8152 12.465 15.7302 12.465 16.0802 13.105L18.5702 17.66C18.6052 17.725 18.6602 17.78 18.7302 17.82L23.2852 20.31C23.9252 20.66 23.9252 21.575 23.2852 21.925L18.7302 24.415C18.6652 24.45 18.6102 24.505 18.5752 24.57L16.0852 29.125C15.7352 29.765 14.8202 29.765 14.4702 29.125Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>                 <path                     d=\"M38.4702 26.64L38.5252 26.775C40.3652 31.435 44.0902 35.165 48.7502 37L48.8852 37.055L48.7502 37.11C44.0902 38.95 40.3602 42.675 38.5252 47.335L38.4702 47.47L38.4152 47.335C36.5752 42.675 32.8502 38.945 28.1902 37.11L28.0552 37.055L28.1902 37C32.8502 35.16 36.5802 31.435 38.4152 26.775L38.4702 26.64Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>                 <path                     d=\"M32 10.7351C33.6569 10.7351 35 9.39196 35 7.73511C35 6.07825 33.6569 4.73511 32 4.73511C30.3431 4.73511 29 6.07825 29 7.73511C29 9.39196 30.3431 10.7351 32 10.7351Z\"                     fill=\"#fff\"><\/path>             <\/g>         <\/g>         <defs>             <clipPath id=\"clip0_5407_120\">                 <rect width=\"64\" height=\"64\" fill=\"white\"><\/rect>             <\/clipPath>         <\/defs>     <\/svg>        <span class=\"sideconvo_button\"  data-sideconvo-message=\"How do I use the public buses?\" data-sideconvo-mode=\"CHAT\" data-sideconvo-customCTATitle=\"How to use the public buses \ud83d\ude8c\" data-sideconvo-customCTAPlacement=\"TITLE_TAG\">             How to use the public buses \ud83d\ude8c        <\/span>         <div class=\"hoverEffect\">             <div><\/div>         <\/div>     <\/button>     <style>      <\/style>    <p>What started as an idea on a notebook is now becoming a full-fledged sitcom.<\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>Batoul Mourad is bringing her Lebanese sitcom, <em>Ajnabiyeh<\/em>, to life. Inspired by her mother\u2019s adolescence in Jnoub, Mourad first jotted the idea in her notebook six years ago. Now, she has moved the coming-of-age series into production and is finally filming the first episode.<\/p>    <p><\/p>   <script type=\"module\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.jsdelivr.net\/npm\/@justinribeiro\/lite-tiktok@0.1.0\/lite-tiktok.js\"><\/script>   <lite-tiktok style=\"margin:auto;width:340px;\" videoid=\"7630152833605618958\" autoload><\/lite-tiktok>   <p><\/p>    <p>Set in 1998 in occupied South Lebanon, <em>Ajnabiyeh<\/em> follows a group of teenage girls navigating daily life in a setting shaped by political tension and military occupation. But instead of centering war as spectacle, the show zooms into something more familiar and overlooked: teenage girlhood.<\/p>    <p><\/p>   <iframe title=\"Embedded Instagram Post\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"532\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DSIgUKtkWmc\/embed\/\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 12px 0px 12px !important; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;\"><\/iframe>   <p><\/p>    <p>Despite shifts in global media representation, the dominant imagination of the region as a uniformly violent or oppressive space persists. In <em>Ajnabiyeh<\/em>, however, Mourad deliberately flips that framing.<\/p>    <p><\/p>   <iframe title=\"Embedded Instagram Post\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"532\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DOjBvmREWy3\/embed\/\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 12px 0px 12px !important; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;\"><\/iframe>   <p><\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-scariest-thing-about-the-middle-east-is-their-teenage-girls\">&#8220;The scariest thing about the Middle East is their teenage girls&#8221;<\/h3>    <p>The series follows a group of teenage girls who feel increasingly alienated from their community, sometimes by choice and sometimes by circumstance, often responding with schemes, defiance, and retaliation against those they believe have wronged them.<\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>At the center is 15-year-old Maryem\/Mary Em, whose quiet rebellion even shows in how she writes her own name, and who carries a sharp, often judgmental attitude toward anyone she sees as privileged or out of touch. Her twin sister Layal is just as calculated but far more reserved, using her intelligence and social awareness to navigate situations more discreetly.<\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>Their younger sister, Sumaya\/Sue, is still figuring out where she belongs, torn between trying to fit in and resisting. Rounding out the group is Nour, a self-described born-again Muslim who moves to Lebanon hoping for a fresh start after a troubled past. However, she often finds herself pulled into the sisters\u2019 chaotic world, becoming both participant and reluctant accomplice in their plans.<\/p>    <p><\/p>   <iframe title=\"Embedded Instagram Post\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"532\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DXH393OkXt-\/embed\/\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 12px 0px 12px !important; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;\"><\/iframe>   <p><\/p>    <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-pilot\">The pilot<\/h3>    <p>In the pilot episode, Mary Em\u2019s dad finds himself locked out of the village by the IDF, leaving the girls unexpectedly unsupervised. Sensing an opening, they set their sights on Youssef Jabar\u2019s mum\u2019s divorce party, a night that promises freedom they rarely get. <\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>But as their plans unfold, the situation spirals, and they begin taking extreme measures to keep Mary Em\u2019s dad out of the picture just long enough to enjoy themselves.<\/p>    <p><\/p>   <iframe title=\"Embedded Instagram Post\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"532\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DRffCINkb0U\/embed\/\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"background: white; max-width: 540px; width: calc(100% - 2px); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219); box-shadow: none; display: block; margin: 12px 0px 12px !important; min-width: 326px; padding: 0px;\"><\/iframe>   <p><\/p>    <p>There is something intentionally small about the world <em>Ajnabiyeh<\/em> builds. Even when the backdrop is heavy, the plot grapples friendships and identity. The sitcom reminds us that coming-of-age stories don\u2019t pause for context, and that life in the Middle East is not solely defined by war.<\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>While the sitcom is currently in development, you can actually request the full script for the <em>Ajnabiyeh<\/em> pilot episode <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ajnabiyehthesitcom.com\/pilot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>. If you want to stay posted, make sure to follow their behind-the-scenes on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/ajnabiyeh.acomedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@ajnabiyehthesitcom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>    <p><\/p>    <p>If you enjoyed this content, check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/tag\/lebanese-cinema\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">#Lebanese Cinema<\/a> section on our website.<\/p>    <div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>    <div class=\"wp-block-thisis-thisis-more-like-this-block\">             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/774999\/ministry-of-culture-launches-cinematheque-an-archive-of-lebanese-cinema-history\/\" class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Ministry of Culture Relaunches the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que, An Archive of Lebanese Cinema History\">                 <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block\">             <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__header\"                 style=\"background-color: #98CA3C;\">                 <h3>                     MORE LIKE THIS                <\/h3>             <\/div>             <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__content\"                 style=\"background-color: #98CA3C1a;\">                                     <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__image\">                         <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Beirut.com-Website-Main-89-250x188.jpg\" alt=\"Ministry of Culture Relaunches the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que, An Archive of Lebanese Cinema History\" \/>                     <\/div>                                                     <div class=\"thisis-more-like-this-block__text\">                                                     <h2>Ministry of Culture Relaunches the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que, An Archive of Lebanese Cinema History<\/h2>                                                                             <p>After almost 10 years of closure, the Ministry of Culture is bringing back the Cin\u00e9math\u00e8que! \ud83c\udf9e\ufe0f<\/p>                                             <\/div>                             <\/div>         <\/div>                 <\/a>     <\/div>   <div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>         <div style=\"width: 100%;\" class=\"mobile products-container-two-product swiper products-embed-container\">   <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">        <a class=\"swiper-slide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/made-in-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"&quot;Made in Beirut&quot; Tee\" style=\"min-width: 66% !important;height:auto !important;\">      <div style=\"min-width: 90% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">       <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Image_20240606_151551_715-328x600.jpeg\">       <\/div>       <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">        <h2 style=\"height: 45px;\">&#8220;Made in Beirut&#8221; Tee<\/h2>        <p>High quality t-shirt that is available in either round neck loose fit made of 100% cotton with short sleeves, or fitted cropped with a round neck and short sleeves (95% cotton,5% elastane). <\/p>        <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">         Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>       <\/div>       <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/a>         <a class=\"swiper-slide\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/product\/the-beirut-tee\/\" aria-label=\"The Beirut Tee\" style=\"min-width: 66% !important;height:auto !important;\">      <div style=\"min-width: 90% !important;\" class=\"single-product-two-product\">       <div class=\"product-image-two-product lazy-load\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/beirutee-524x600.png\">       <\/div>       <div class=\"product-content-two-product\">        <h2 style=\"height: 45px;\">The Beirut Tee<\/h2>        <p>Beirut.com printed logo on the left side. 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Available in Black, White, and Olive Green.<\/p>       <div class=\"price-container-two-product\">        Starting At <span class=\"woocommerce-Price-amount amount\"><bdi><span class=\"woocommerce-Price-currencySymbol\">&#36;<\/span>15<\/bdi><\/span>      <\/div>      <\/div>     <\/div>    <\/a>       <\/div>   ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What started as an idea on a notebook is now becoming a full-fledged sitcom. Batoul Mourad is bringing her Lebanese sitcom, Ajnabiyeh, to life. Inspired by her mother\u2019s adolescence in Jnoub, Mourad first jotted the idea in her notebook six years ago. Now, she has moved the coming-of-age series into production and is finally filming [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":775240,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_preview_accessed":0,"footnotes":""},"tags":[1095,1179,1177,1093,1099,1338],"media-embed-type":[],"class_list":["post-775230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stuffwelove","tag-jnoub","tag-lebanese-cinema","tag-lebaneseproud","tag-news","tag-supportlocal","tag-viral"],"authorship":[56],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>A Lebanese Director Turns Her Mother\u2019s Adolescence in South Lebanon Into a Sitcom &#187; Beirut.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ajnabiyeh is a Lebanese sitcom by Batoul Mourad that&#039;s currently in development, and it&#039;s inspired by her mother\u2019s adolescence in Jnoub.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/775230\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Lebanese Director Turns Her Mother\u2019s Adolescence in South Lebanon Into a Sitcom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ajnabiyeh is a Lebanese sitcom by Batoul Mourad that&#039;s currently in development, and it&#039;s inspired by her mother\u2019s adolescence in Jnoub.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/775230\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Beirut.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/beirutcityguide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-16T04:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Beirut.com-Website-Main-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Taleen El Gharib\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@beirutcityguide\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@beirutcityguide\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Taleen El Gharib\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Taleen El Gharib\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/ar\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/998828f4428be1a686c6c9e94be1708e\"},\"headline\":\"A Lebanese Director Turns Her Mother\u2019s Adolescence in South Lebanon Into a Sitcom\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-16T04:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":491,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/ar\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/Beirut.com-Website-Main-2.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Jnoub (South Lebanon)\",\"Lebanese Cinema\",\"Lebanese Proud\",\"News\",\"Support Local\",\"Viral\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Stuff We Love\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.beirut.com\\\/en\\\/775230\\\/a-lebanese-director-turns-her-mothers-adolescence-in-south-lebanon-into-a-sitcom\\\/\",\"name\":\"A Lebanese Director Turns Her Mother\u2019s Adolescence in South Lebanon Into a Sitcom &#187; 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