For more than three decades, Lebanese photographer Ramzi Haidar has been on a mission to locate the man who became the subject of his most iconic image. This figure, known as the “Piano Man,” captured in a moment of calm amidst the chaos of Lebanon’s brutal civil war, has haunted Haidar’s memory—not just for the image, but for the role he played in saving Haidar’s life.
Haidar, 24 years old at the time, took the famous photograph in September 1983 during the “mountain war” phase of the Lebanese conflict. This period was marked by violent sectarian clashes as militias fought for control of strategic territories above Beirut, following Israel’s withdrawal from the city.
The photograph shows a young combatant playing a piano in the midst of war in a mansion in Souk el Gharb, a village fiercely contested by Druze and Christian militias. Haidar recalls the surprise of finding the fighter, serenely playing the instrument amid the surrounding chaos, his Kalashnikovs resting beside him and a war-torn mansion offering an unlikely backdrop for the peaceful moment.
“I was taken aback by how nonchalant he was,” Haidar remembers. “His friends were fighting, but he didn’t seem to care. He was playing the piano as if he was in a different world.”
But that serene moment in the midst of violence would soon turn into a fight for Haidar’s own life. After capturing the photograph, he stepped outside and was shot in the head.
“It felt like a shock,” Haidar said. “It was as if I saw my whole life flashing before my eyes, like in the movies.”
As Haidar lay wounded, he envisioned the grief his mother would feel if he didn’t survive, knowing she would be surrounded by mourners in their village, Jouwaya, which was then under Israeli occupation.
The Christian fighters who had been in the mansion quickly rushed to his aid, attempting to save the photographer’s life. Haidar believes that it was their actions, particularly that of the Piano Man, which ultimately led to his survival.
Now, more than 30 years later, Haidar is determined to find the Piano Man, not only to thank him for his life-saving actions but to express his gratitude for what he refers to as his “rebirth.” The photograph, part of a new exhibition of civil war imagery in Beirut, represents more than just a historical moment—it is a constant reminder of the deep personal connection Haidar shares with that fateful day.
Haidar’s search for the Piano Man continues, driven by a sense of indebtedness that transcends the camera’s lens and speaks to the life-or-death bond forged in the midst of war.
“The man in the photograph is one of the persons who took me to the hospital. I have been searching for him ever since.”
Haidar never learned Piano Man’s name, but he has not given up the search.
“I’ve asked the former militiamen he was fighting with but they’ve lost track of him. He has travelled abroad. I know that he’s still alive,” he said.
“If ever I find him, I don’t know what I will tell him. It’s confusing.”