Yes, there is a Saint Charbel movie - in fact there are two feature films about him. The newest is "Charbel" (2026), a Lebanese biopic directed by Nadim Mehanna that brings the hermit of Annaya to cinemas for a new generation. The first was "Charbel" (2009) by Nabil Lebbos. Here is what each film is and what is actually confirmed about release and availability.
Part of the Saint Charbel Encyclopedia. Read the full story of his life or browse all topics.
"Charbel" - listed in Lebanese cinemas as "Mar Charbel" - is a feature biopic of the saint's life, from the boy Youssef Makhlouf, born in 1828 in the mountain village of Bekaa Kafra, to the hermit whose reputation for holiness crossed every boundary of religion and language. The film runs about 130 minutes and is directed by Nadim Mehanna (also transliterated Muhanna), produced through his company NMPRO in partnership with MTV Lebanon, from a screenplay by Claudia Marshalian.
Four actors portray Charbel across the seasons of his life, with Jerry Ghazal as the younger Charbel and the story's central figure. The cast also includes Carol Al Hajj, Youssef Haddad, Aleco Daoud, and Randa Kaadi.
Mehanna announced the film on MTV Lebanon's talk show Sar El Wa2et on December 21, 2025, unveiling a trailer and a national fundraising campaign that raised more than $1.3 million to support an international release.
Cinemacity Beirut currently lists an opening date of October 22, 2026, with no sessions scheduled yet. elCinema still lists March 19, 2026 but also marks the film "Unreleased"; that older database date is not evidence that screenings took place.
Status checked October 6, 2026 against Cinemacity Beirut and current reporting. Our Latest News page tracks changes as they are announced.
The film exists and is directed by Nadim Mehanna. Cinemacity Beirut lists a planned October 22, 2026 opening, but no sessions are scheduled on its film page yet. Lebanon24 reported an earlier postponement on October 5. This is an upcoming listing, not confirmation that the film has already opened. It is distinct from the 2009 film.
Public reporting does not yet confirm a wide international theatrical release, streaming distribution, or English-language availability. When an official announcement comes from the production company, we report it on the Latest News page.
The 2026 film is not the first time Saint Charbel's life has been told on screen. "Charbel" (2009), directed by Nabil Lebbos, is an earlier Lebanese biopic of about 1 hour 43 minutes - an intimate portrait of the monk known in his lifetime as a healer and a man of God, loved by Christians and Muslims alike. It has circulated for years on Catholic television and remains available through EWTN's on-demand library, which is currently the easiest way for viewers outside Lebanon to watch a Saint Charbel film.
Mehanna is not stopping with Charbel. He has also directed a film on Saint Rafqa - the Maronite nun of Himlaya whose life of suffering and prayer ran parallel to Charbel's - produced through NMPRO in partnership with MTV and scheduled for release in 2027. Together the two films are carrying Lebanon's modern saints onto the international screen.