In April, 1975, civil war breaks out; Beirut is partitioned along a Moslem-Christian line. Tarek is in high school, making Super 8 movies with his friend, Omar. At first the war is a lark: school has closed, the violence is fascinating, getting from West to East is a game. His mother wants to leave; his father refuses. Tarek spends time with May, a Christian, orphaned and living in his building. By accident, Tarek goes to an infamous brothel in the war-torn Olive Quarter, meeting its legendary madam, Oum Walid. He then takes Omar and May there using her underwear as a white flag for safe passage. Family tensions rise. As he comes of age, the war moves inexorably from adventure to tragedy.Read More »
Lebanon
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Ziad Doueiri – West Beyrouth (À l’abri les enfants) AKA West Beirut (1998)
1991-2000DramaLebanonZiad Doueiri -
Samir A. Khouri – Sayedat al akmar al sawdaa AKA The Lady of the Black Moons (1971)
1971-1980DramaEroticaLebanonSamir A. KhouriIn the depths of loneliness and despair, beautiful Aida visits her “tailor,” Victoria, a woman who runs a sensual house where erotic fantasies are fulfilled. After satisfying her desires in the arms of one of Victoria’s young men, Aida has a haunting nightmare where she envisions herself as a witch who, during a full moon, has the power to destroy her lovers’ sensitivity. This disturbing dream sends Aida into a downward spiral of self-destruction. When Aida finally loses her will to live and all hope for salvation, she longs to purify herself and find forgiveness for her sins. Reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut and the stylishly erotic films of Radley Metzger, The Lady of the Black Moons emerged from an era of relaxed censorship in Egypt.Read More »
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Rita Baghdadi – Sirens (2022)
2021-2030DocumentaryLebanonRita BaghdadiQuote:
Lilas and Shery, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band, wrestle with friendship, sexuality and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal rock stars.Read More » -
Ramzi Bashour – The Trees (2021)
2021-2030ComedyLebanonRamzi BashourShort FilmBashir attends his father’s funeral in rural Lebanon only to discover a pathogen infecting the trees in his village. A dark comedy about tradition, grief, and the environment.Read More »
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Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige – Memory Box (2021)
2021-2030DramaJoana HadjithomasKhalil JoreigeLebanonWarMaia, a single mother, lives in Montreal with her teenage daughter, Alex. On Christmas Eve, they receive an unexpected delivery: notebooks, tapes, and photos Maia sent to her best friend from 1980’s Beirut. Maia refuses to open the box or confront its memories, but Alex secretly begins diving into it. Between fantasy and reality, Alex enters the world of her mother’s tumultuous, passionate adolescence during the Lebanese civil war, unlocking mysteries of a hidden past.Read More »
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Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige – Yawmon akhar AKA A Perfect Day (2005)
Drama2001-2010ArthouseJoana HadjithomasKhalil JoreigeLebanonA day in the life of Malek, a young man who suffers from sleep disorders and is obsessed with thoughts of his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, his overprotective mother struggles with the disappearance of her husband, who was kidnapped more than 15 years ago during the civil war.Read More »
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Mohamed Soueid – Cinema Fouad (1993)
1991-2000DocumentaryLebanonMohamad SoueidQueer Cinema(s)Quote:
Khaled, a Syrian transgender migrant who was born male, dreams of undergoing gender transition surgery. While trying to make a living from various menial jobs, she falls in love with a Palestinian freedom fighter and joins his resistance. Gently, compassionately, Cinema Fouad draws a portrait of Khaled and introduces the viewer to one of Beirut’s rarely seen netherworlds.Read More » -
Marwa Arsanios – Have you ever killed a bear? or Becoming Jamila (2014)
2011-2020LebanonMarwa ArsaniosVideo ArtQuote:
A video that uses the history of a magazine – Cairo’s Al-Hilal ‘50s and ‘60s collection – as the starting point for an inquiry into Jamila Bouhired, the Algerian freedom fighter. An actress designated to play her role is showing the magazine’s covers to the camera. From the different representations of Jamila in cinema to her assimilation and promotion through the magazine, the performance attempts to look at the history of socialist projects in Egypt, anti-colonial wars in Algeria, and the way they have promoted and marginalized feminist projects. Read More » -
Jocelyne Saab – War Children AKA Les Enfants de la Guerre (1976)
1971-1980DocumentaryJocelyn SaabLebanonPoliticsA few days after the Karantina massacre, in a predominantly Muslim slum in Beirut, Jocelyne Saab meets the surviving children, who are marked by the horrific visions of the combat they witnessed. After giving them pens to draw with and inviting them to play under the watchful eye of her camera, the director is faced with a bitter realization: they no longer know any other game than that of war, and it will soon become a profession for them as well.Read More »