Rachel Aoun is a Lebanese cinematographer whose work is rooted in performance. She believes the strongest images emerge from trust, creating an environment where actors feel free to inhabit a moment while the camera reveals the story’s emotional point of view. Rather than imposing a signature aesthetic, she develops a visual language unique to each project. For Rachel, light is never ornamental; it exists to support the performance, drawing the audience closer to the characters rather than the image itself.
Her work moves between intimate character-driven films and large-scale productions. She photographed Darin J. Sallam’s feature film Farha, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before its global release on Netflix, and served as cinematographer on both seasons of Netflix’s AlRawabi School for Girls, created by Tima Al Shomali. Her narrative credits also include Yahya Alabdallah’s The Last Friday, selected for the Berlin International Film Festival Forum section, as well as internationally screened films including Sophie Boutros’ Mahbas and Lamia Joreige’s And The Living Is Easy.
Beyond narrative cinema, Rachel photographed Coke Studio Bel 3arabi, a widely recognized music series across the MENA region, alongside campaigns for international brands.
In 2022, Rachel wrote and directed the short film Bystander, which screened at international festivals including Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Shorts Shorts Film Festival & Asia, and Malmö Arab Film Festival. She also mentors emerging filmmakers through initiatives across the Middle East and Europe.
Rachel is a member of the Cinematographers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a Berlinale Talents alumna. Based in Beirut, she works internationally across feature films, series, and commercial productions. Rachel continues to build a body of work that places performance at the center of the image.