Kassem Istanbouli wants to bring cinema and theater back to Lebanon.<br /><br />Before war ravaged southern Lebanon in the 1980s, cinemas thrived as cultural centers. Istanbouli wants to revive the concept, buying and renovating shuttered cinemas, and reopening them to the public. <br /><br />It's not just for movie buffs. Istanbouli's cinemas host theater workshops and performances. But the project, which is run as a nonprofit, faces funding and operational hurdles, and has to search for donations.<br /><br />Istanbouli's next planned project is to buy a 400-seat theater in southern Lebanon. He hopes to ensure the historic building has many more acts.
