On June 20 1962, Baalbeck Studios was born, established by Palestinian bankers and businessmen Yousef Beidas and Badie Bulos. During the 1960s and ’70s the studio went on to become one of the region’s most-prominent audiovisual production hubs, working with famous writers, actors and directors and collaborating with international studios.

The outbreak of the Civil War in 1975 made it impossible for many of the employees to safety commute to the Sin al-Fil offices, forcing the studio to close for some years. The building was sealed off as it was, with everything inside. In February 2010, contractors hired to demolish the Baalbeck Studios building contacted UMAM Documentation and Research, a nonprofit archival institution dedicated to preserving documents relating to the country’s history. [Link]