Born in 1914, Afif Bulos was a Palestinian-Lebanese musician, impresario, and beloved teacher who produced Gilbert & Sullivan musicals in Beirut for decades, until his tragic death in 1982.
Afif lived relatively openly as a gay man in times and places that should have been unthinkable. He grew up in Acre, launched his career in Jerusalem, studied in London, then, exiled after 1948, settled in Beirut. Throughout, he was prodigiously active in music. He began as an aspiring operatic baritone and went on to teach generations of Lebanese singers, but his greatest passion was the Beirut Orpheus Choir, which he founded and led to become a major cultural institution in 20th century Lebanon.
In March of 1982, after a rehearsal for an upcoming production of “The Mikado,” Afif was murdered in his own home. Prejudice and wartime chaos impeded any investigation. The crime was never solved.
As a child, filmmaker Josh Peterson lived in Lebanon, where his father sang lead roles in the Orpheus Choir and took voice lessons with Afif. Josh remembers Afif as a warm, larger-than-life character, a force of nature with a twinkle in his eye. Many Beirutis, and others throughout the Lebanese and Palestinian diasporas, cherish fond memories of Afif. His 1960s recordings of Palestinian and Lebanese folk songs can still be heard on the internet. Yet his life has yet to be celebrated in print or on film. There have been no books, no magazine articles, no TV shows… not even a Wikipedia page.
Our documentary will track the dramatic twists and turns of Afif’s dynamic odyssey through a series of fascinating worlds, from Mandate-era 1930s and 40s Jerusalem, to postwar London, to Beirut during its 1950s and 60s “Golden Age,” to the early years of Lebanon’s civil war.
But AFIF will go far beyond headlines and stereotypes. Through archival photos, film, and recordings – alongside heartfelt reminiscences from the wide diversity of people around the world who knew and loved him – Afif’s character and the worlds he inhabited will be revived, in all their bright colors and dark shadows.
Woven among these will be two present-day threads. We will follow Beirut-based journalist Nabih Bulos, a young relative of Afif’s, on his personal quest to dig up documents and track down witnesses to unravel the truth about Afif’s death. We will also film efforts by Orpheus Choir alumni to put together a tribute concert in Beirut celebrating Afif and his Choir.
This will be more than a history lesson or biography. It will explore the moods and atmospheres of the Levant and its many peoples across the decades through one exceptional man’s journey, a life full of joy, tragedy, humor, and creativity.
Your support will help bring Afif back into the spotlight where he always belonged.
