"In marginalized areas, theater might be the only act capable of changing reality-of giving people a chance to see themselves and hear their own voices."
In 2018, he renovated Rivoli Cinema in Tyre and transformed it into the Lebanese National Theater
—an inclusive, open space without high ticket prices or exclusivity. He then moved to Tripoli, where he restored the city's oldest cinema, originally built in 1932. Today, in 2024, he's working on reviving the Colisée Cinema on Beirut's Hamra Street.
When the latest war broke out, Qassem's theater wasn't just a venue for art—it became a refuge for displaced Lebanese and Palestinian families.
"The most important thing we did was to be there for people," he says. "More important than building a theater or cinema is becoming a shelter for those who need you, opening your doors when others are shut. In war and peace, theater belongs to the people. It's not just a building-it's an idea, a memory, and an ongoing resistance.
