Yahya Saada

Yahya Saada is a Lebanese film director. He was born on May 18, 1975 - December 17, 2010 and directed many music videos for Lebanese and Arab female and male artists.

His life and career

Yahya Anton Saada was born in Zahle, Lebanon, but spent his childhood in Cyprus due to the war at that time. Upon returning to Lebanon in the early 1980s, he continued his education at the Orthodox School for Girls. Yahya specialized in interior design at the University of Lebanon in Beirut, but preferred not to complete his specialization and instead worked as a "art director" in advertising and fashion design, as well as working with production companies and several directors. After seven years of working as an art director, Yahya decided to start his directing career, and his first experience was directing the music video for Aml Hajjaji's song "Buyer of Roses", which caused a great controversy that had never been seen before in any Arab music video or by any Arab director.

Yahya's success continued after this, becoming the most controversial director with his surrealist ideas that carried an humanitarian and non-conformist approach.

His death

He died on December 17, 2010 due to a lightning strike while filming Maya Diab's first music video in Turkey.

His works

Some of his most notable music videos:

* Rahma: I and You
* Khallani: Myriam Fares
* Eih Elly Bichal: Myriam Fares
* Makana Wein: Myriam Fares
* Khalini Shufak Bil Leil: Najwa Karam
* Ana Tabi'ou Kedda Warahiti: Nicole Saba
* Ayzak Kedda Walin Baqala Radi': Samia Al-Khashab
* Qalbi As'alou and Mona Ayn: Nawal Al-Zoghbi
* Buyer of Roses: Aml Hajjaji
* Ta'tahe: Shams
* Mash Gadra, Istni Hassa, Ma Bana, Fi Haaja, Ya Ibn Al-Halal: Haifa Wehbe
* Kunt Fahali: Nicole Saba
* Yama Layali: Haifa Wehbe
* Mawazir Myriam Fares (Artistic Direction)
* Khalini Ma'ak: Nasrin Zureiq
* Salam, Ya Sarq Omri: Janine Dagher
* Funky Arabs: Jad Choueri

In addition to the controversy caused by his absence from Karol Sakr's music video "Ghair Ghayabak", which sparked a media and intellectual storm.

Some of his most notable quotes:

* "Art makes the world dream"
* "There is nothing that ends except for it to begin again"
* "Live your life as you want, not as others do"
* "I don't speak a language I'm not convinced by, unlike others"
* "My case is humanitarian freedom and personality"
* "Every day in our lives is a day of reckoning"
* "It's better for me to be rude than to lie"
* "I believe that whoever cries today will laugh tomorrow, and the sad events we face give us strength and enhance our character"
* "I believe in the decisive blow that turns the scales"
* "There is no drama in our lives, but we create it. I may cut off my hand and continue living, or I may live happily with one hand"

Awards

Best Director Award (Lebanese Students' Award for Celebrities) after Yahya received the highest voting percentage from Lebanese university students, indicating the influence of Yahya's ideas on young people.

The Shield of the Lebanese Union of Film Professionals, awarded to Yahya as a symbol of change and innovation in Lebanese and Arab cinema.