François Yazbeck is a Lebanese filmmaker, sound designer, music composer and doctoral researcher based in Helsinki, Finland. His work reflects an engagement with themes of memory, trauma, and social unrest, channeled through a post-human, visceral and sensorial approach. He studied filmmaking at IESAV-USJ Beirut and specialized in sound design at Aalto University in Helsinki. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Aalto, François’s artistic research focuses on memory-scape cinema and counter-memory, particularly in conflict and post-conflict contexts such as Lebanon. His work interrogates how visceral filmmaking can embody trauma and address ruptured histories.
His debut feature essay, Nécrose, a co-production between Lebanon (Corps Céleste) and Finland (Kenno Filmi), premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR 2024) and was showcased in the national competition at DocPoint 2024 in Finland, among other festivals.
As a sound designer, François has collaborated on a diverse range of Lebanese, Arab, European, and international productions. As a musician, his compositions delve into ambient and underground experimental music, drawing inspiration from the textures of urban and industrial soundscapes.
He is the founder of Corps Céleste, a Lebanese collective of artists. He is currently developing his second feature film “Versets Sombres”.
