A NEW film about a contemporary Lebanese artist has been made by Tate art galleries with support from Bradford-based Chamber International.

Two freelance filmmakers were sent to Beirut by Tate to make a documentary about Marwan Rechmaoui, after obtaining a temporary goods export permit through overseas trade specialist, Chamber International.

Marwan Rechmaoui’s work deals with urban development and social history and his Beirut Caoutchouc is a large black rubber floor mat in the shape of the city which is displayed at Tate Modern in London.

Tate found that it could avoid paying import duty and dealing with complex customs controls on arrival at Beirut airport by using the permit for the filmmaking equipment they were temporarily exporting.

The permit, known as an ATA Carnet, can be used for temporary exports - where goods are not to be sold - to fast-track customs.

Chamber International account executive, Lydia Moi said: “Exporters present Carnets to Customs for shipments when leaving the UK and on arrival at their destination and save a lot of time and money by using them. This is the first time that we have supported Tate Britain and we were very pleased to assist with such a fascinating cultural project.

“If Tate not been issued with a carnet, they would have been liable to pay up to £6,925 as a security deposit to Lebanese customs and would have had to complete all the necessary paperwork at the border on arrival there.”

The documentary is part of the “TateShots” film series of educational films which feature art and artists in Tate’s collection.

Tate’s production assistant, Elizabeth Robert, said: “Obtaining an ATA Carnet through Chamber International was very useful and gave peace of mind to our crew once they were abroad. It avoided any chances of having the kit taken from them at customs which meant the rest of the film production could run smoothly once they landed.”