West Beirut (film)

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Movie
German title West Beirut
Original title West Beyrouth
Country of production Lebanon
original language Arabic
Publishing year 1998
length 105 minutes
Rod
Director Ziad Doueiri
script Ziad Doueiri
music Stewart Copeland
camera Ricardo Jacques Gale
cut Dominique Marcombe
occupation

West Beirut ( Arabic بيروت الغربية, DMG Bairūt al-ġarbiyya ) is a coming-of-age film by Ziad Doueiri (director and script ) from 1998 about three teenagers in Beirut at the beginning of the civil war in 1975 .

Plot (from English Wikipedia)

Civil war broke out in April 1975. Beirut is divided into East and West Beirut along a Muslim-Christian border. The west is essentially Muslim, the east Christian. Tarek goes to a French school and makes Super 8 films with his friend Omar. He rebels against the authoritarian teacher. First of all, the war is fun for them: the school is closed, the violence is fascinating, and getting from the east to the west is a game. Tarek's mother wants to leave Beirut, but his father refuses.

Tarek spends a lot of time with May, a Christian orphan who lives in the same building. Tarek accidentally ends up in the infamous brothel in the city's war-torn olive district. There he meets his legendary landlady Oum Walid. He later brings Omar and May there too.

Things are getting tense in Tarek's family. As he slowly ages, the war inexorably evolves from adventure to tragedy.

criticism

  • Spielfilm.de: "The largely autobiographical debut of Ziad Doueiri is for the time being the life-bubbling story of three boisterous youngsters, a moving and humorous chronicle of growing up."
  • Trigon-film.org: "West Beyrouth is one of the most beautiful films about youth in recent years, a moving chronicle of growing up and, moreover, a contemplative film on the subject of overcoming borders, political, religious and cultural borders."

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