An Article by D.M. (992 words, 5 min. read)
On the evening of July 19, 2025, the heart of Lebanon pulsed again with pride, poetry, and power as the Cedars International Festival was officially reopened after a long-awaited return. Under the sacred branches of the Cedars of God in Bsharri, time seemed to stand still. As the sun set behind the mountains, bathing the land in amber and gold, the mountain whispered with memory… And the world listened.
The reopening was orchestrated by MP Sethrida Geagea, whose vision and determination brought this cultural beacon back to life. Her presence, alongside her husband Samir Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces Party, was marked by grace and charisma. Her speech echoed through the mountains like an invocation; eloquent, heartfelt, and proud. She welcomed the crowd not only to a performance, but to a national awakening. Her words—“Lebanon is coming back”—were more than a hope; they were a promise.
The audience, an assembly of dignitaries including the First Lady of Lebanon, His Excellency the Prime Minister of Lebanon Judge Nawaf Salam and his wife, His Beatitude the Patriarch of Antioch for Maronites Mar Bechara al-Ra’i, and a host of foreign Ambassadors and dignitaries, stood together beneath the ancient trees, watching as Lebanon’s cultural spirit came alive again.
A Sunset Painted with Fire and Music
As twilight deepened, the sky erupted in a cascade of fireworks, showering the mountaintop in radiant colors. The air trembled with music and the voices of Melhem Zein and Jahida Wehbe. Their melodies stirred the soul, especially when Zein sang “Aatini el nay wa ghanni,” the eternal ode of Khalil Gibran. In those few suspended minutes, Lebanon felt infinite.
The mountaintop, crowned with people, cedars, and light, transformed into a sanctuary of heritage and hope. The anticipation was thick, and though the show started an hour late, the mood remained one of reverent expectancy. The crowd was vast, eager, and passionate. There was some visible tension in the transportation and bus coordination, yet it was a reflection of the magnitude of people who had come to witness something unforgettable.
Al Awda: A Choreographed Resurrection
And then it began. “Al Awda” – The Return – was not just a performance. It was a spiritual encounter. Created and directed by Nadim Cherfan, and performed by the 58 fierce, divine women of the Mayyas troupe, the show was a symphony of movement, story, and soul.
Inspired by Gibran Khalil Gibran’s life and his masterpiece The Prophet, “Al Awda” was a semi-fictional odyssey of Gibran’s journey from the caves of Wadi Qannoubine to the oceans of exile, and finally to the immortal ink of revelation. The Mayyas, through exquisite designed costumes, and spectacular choreographies, embodied not only Gibran’s narrative but the collective Lebanese yearning for meaning, return, and creation.
The Prophet as Dance
The scenes unfolded like poetry.
Scene 1: The Prayer opened with monks in caves, attacked by evil, and rescued by angels.
Scene 2: The Oracle whispered riddles between worlds.
Scene 3: Cedar saw Gibran born beneath the arms of a living tree.
Scene 4: Yabni tore him between the safety of homeland and the lure of destiny.
Scene 5: The Sea sailed him into the unknown.
Scene 6: Paintings revealed his yearning through brush and light.
Scene 7: Winter confronted him with exile’s cruelty.
Scene 8: Good and Evil battled within his mind, until the birthing of The Prophet.
Scene 9: The Funeral brought him home in death, carried by the winds of his words.
Scene 10: Another Woman embodied his belief in cycles and reincarnation.
Scene 11: Celebration of Cycles resurrected him again, not as a man, but as an eternal presence.
Almitra, portrayed with ethereal power by Cynthia Karam, was the guiding muse. Gibran was brought to life in phases—by Edmond Jadam (age 5), Rayan Rayfouni (age 12), Charbel Rayfouni (age 18), Badih Abou Chakra (age 35), and Ammar Chalak (age 48).
Each one carried a fragment of him, each danced not only for Gibran but for every Lebanese soul who left, dreamed, fought, and returned.
Light and Echo: A Sensory Masterpiece
The lighting and sound design of “Al Awda” transformed the mountainous stage into a living canvas. Each beam of light painted a new emotion—sometimes divine, sometimes ominous—while the sound reverberated through the trees like a celestial drumbeat. From the soft whispers of the Oracle to the thunderous clash of the battle in Wadi Qannoubine, every sound was immersive, every visual moment a heartbeat of its own. The technology never overpowered the art. Yet it served it, elevated it, and wrapped the audience in a sacred atmosphere that blurred the line between dream and reality.
Lebanon: Reflected in the Mayyas
There was an undeniable synergy between the story of Gibran and the journey of the Mayyas themselves. Lebanese-born, yet finding their recognition on American stages, winning Season 17 of America’s Got Talent in 2022, the Mayyas are echoes of the prophet they represented; wanderers turned icons, exiles turned messengers. Their success abroad, crowned with global admiration, only made their return to the Cedars more poignant, more personal, more powerful.
The Cedars Stood Still
Despite the crowd, the wait, and the logistical chaos that flared at the end, nothing could dull the shine of that night. We, the people of the mountain and the sea, watched from the soil where Gibran now rests. As his epitaph declares:
“I am alive like you, and I am standing beside you.
Close your eyes and look around, you will see me in front of you.”
And he was there. In the silhouettes of dancers, in the light, in the wind.
He had returned. So had we.
A Word of Gratitude
To MP Sethrida Geagea, for her tireless efforts and moving presence.
To the Mayyas, for showing the world our story through dance.
To Lebanon, for still believing in the return.
The Cedars whispered that night—not of sorrow, but of pride. And we listened.
