Haifa Charbel

Haifa Charbel is a Lebanese television presenter, executive producer, and documentary maker. She has created travel documentaries and high profile interviews with Lebanese businessmen, and prominent political figures. Haifa Charbel creates and produces Soufaraa al Arez (Cedar Ambassadors), a Lebanese diaspora affairs talk show. In 2015, she founded, and serves as the CEO of True Story Productions.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Early life and education

Haifa was born in Jezzine, Southern Lebanon to Laure and Elias Charbel. She moved to Beirut where she obtained a BA in Human Resources Management, and an MBA in Business Management. In 2016, Haifa was a candidate on the Nehna La Jezzine (We are for Jezzine) municipal electoral list; the alliance won the Jezzine elections, and she became the youngest woman to be elected to her hometown's municipal council.^[7][8]

Career and diaspora activism

Haifa worked as a consultant for local and international companies before founding, and serving since 2015 as CEO of True Story Productions. The company provides TV and film production services, as well as entertainment business consultancy services.^[1] In 2020, True Story Productions extended its services to Europe, and in 2020, inaugurated an office in the UK.^[9] Haifa produces and hosts Soufaraa al Arez (Cedar Ambassadors), an awarded talk show specializing in Lebanese diaspora affairs. The show that started in 2017 hosts high prominent and successful expatriated businessmen and political figures.^[10] The show is in its 5th season as of 2022.^[11] Haifa travels to Lebanese diaspora hotspots to personally conduct interviews with Lebanese expat guests.^[12][13][14]

In February 2019, Haifa Charbel's Cedar Ambassadors partnered with Forbes Middle East business magazine to accentuate influential regional business leaders.^[15] At the end of 2019, COVID-related travel restrictions caused Haifa to remain in Australia for a prolonged time, where she was preparing an episode of Cedar Ambassadors. While there, her Beirut office was heavily damaged by the 2020 Beirut explosion. In the aftermath of the catastrophe, she founded a humanitarian NGO, also called Cedar Ambassadors, focusing on human capital development.^[16] In 2021 Haifa filmed one of the most emotive episodes with the Abdallahs, an Australian-Lebanese family that lost three children when a drunk driver plowed into them. The family forgave the young driver in the episode.^[17][18]

In her show, Haifa highlights women entrepreneurs and advocates for women empowerment.^[19]

Sources

1. True Story Productions. "About – True Story Productions". from the original on 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
2. "رئيس حزب القوات اللبنانية ضيف سفراء الأرز بحلقة بعنوان "الانتشار يسأل" مع الاعلامية هيفا شربل [The diaspora asks] - Interview with Samir Geagea". سفراء الأرز [Cedar Amabassadors] (in Arabic). 2022-01-19. Radio Liban Libre.
3. "النائب جبران باسيل ضيف سفراء الأرز بحلقة اغترابية بعنوان "الانتشار يسأل" مع الاعلامية هيفا شربل [The diaspora asks] - Interview with Gibran Bassil". سفراء الأرز [Cedar Amabassadors] (in Arabic). 2021-11-10. Radio Liban Libre.
4. "المركزية - مقابلة مع جعجع غدا". المركزية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-03-08.
5. "Soufaraa Al Arez With Mrs. Salma Tartak / Sydney- Australia | The Lebanese Australian". thelebaneseaustralian.com.au. 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
6. "بالفيديو: إطلالة خاصة لجبران باسيل الأربعاء المقبل.. التفاصيل على هذا الرابط!". elsiyasa.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
7. Wakim, Rita (2019-06-14). "هيفا شربل تحتفل بنجاح " سفراء الأرز " وتعلن عن إطلاق فيلم سينمائي" [Haifa Charbel celebrates the success of "Cedar Ambassadors" and announces the release of a movie]. Up And Down Beirut (in Arabic). from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
8. Al Binaa editorial staff (2016). "«حزب الله» و«أمل»: التشطيب في لوائحنا شطب لخيار المقاومة". Al-binaa Newspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-04-03.
9. "Contact – True Story Productions". True Story Productions. from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
10. MTV Lebanon. "هيفا شربل تجمع الأمل بلبنان... من أميركا إلى قبرص" [Haifa Charbel brings prospect in Lebanon from America to Cyprus]. MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). from the original on 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
11. Khalil, Christelle. "الإعلامية هيفا شربل في موسم خامس من "سفراء الأرز"" [Haifa Charbel in the fifth season of "Cedar Ambassadors"]. The Beirut Times. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
12. MTV Lebanon (2020-01-30). "لؤي الدادا سفيرٌ للأرز مع أكثر من ٧٠ براءة اختراع" [Louay El Dada is a Cedar Ambassador with more than 70 patents]. MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-04-03.
13. MTV Lebanon (2020-03-18). "بين المصائب 'سفراء الأرز' يبحث عن النجاح والأمل" [Cedar Ambassadors looks for success and hope in the midst of misfortunes]. MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
14. MTV Lebanon (2020-03-13). "هيفا شربل تنقل نجاحات 'سفراء الأرز' في كندا الى الشاشة" [Haifa Charbel brings the successes of "Cedar Ambassadors" in Canada to the screen]. MTV Lebanon (in Arabic). from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
15. Irani, Gregory (2019-02-18). "لأول مرّة Forbes تتعاون مع برنامج تلفزيوني لبناني" [Forbes partners with a Lebanese program for the first time]. Lebanon24 (in Arabic). from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
16. Khalil, Christelle (2021-06-08). "هيفا شربل تعيش تجربة الاغتراب والموسم الخامس من "سفراء الأرز" مختلف" [Haifa Charbel experiences expatriation - the fifth season of Cedar Ambassadors" will be different]. Yalla Beirut. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
17. Pitt, Helen (2020-02-22). "Oatlands tragedy could bring out the best in us". The Sydney Morning Herald. from the original on 2020-02-27. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
18. Two Media (2021-04-15). "حلقة مؤثرة من سفراء الأرز مع هيفا شربل - أم تسامح قاتل أولادها الثلاث" [A touching episode of Cedar Ambassadors with Haifa Charbel - Mother forgives the killer of her three children]. CNN MEA (in Arabic). from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.
19. Al Kalima editorial staff (2020-01-20). ""سفراء الأرز" عائد ويتحدّى الأزمة" ["Cedar Ambassadors" is back and defies the crisis]. Al Kalima Online. from the original on 2022-04-03. Retrieved 2022-04-03.