West Beyrouth (1998)

Director:

Ziad Doueiri

Writer:

Ziad Doueiri (writer)

Release Date:

30 October 1998 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

In April, 1975, civil war breaks out; Beirut is partitioned along a Moslem-Christian line. Tarek is in high school...

Plot Keywords:

Lebanon War

Awards:

6 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Rami Doueiri	...	Tarek
Mohamad Chamas	...	Omar
Rola Al Amin	...	May
Carmen Lebbos	...	Hala, Tarek's mother
Joseph Bou Nassar	...	Riad, Tarek' father
Lialiane Nemri	...	Neighbor
Leïla Karam	...	Brothel Madam
Hassan Farhat	...	Roadblock Militiaman
Mahmoud Mabsout	...	Baker
Fadi Abou Khalil	...	Bakery Militiaman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aïda Sabra	...	School Principal

Directed by
Ziad Doueiri

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ziad Doueiri		writer

Produced by
Bjørn Eivind Aarskog	....	co-producer
Rachid Bouchareb	....	producer
Jean Bréhat	....	producer

Original Music by
Stewart Copeland

Cinematography by
Ricardo Jacques Gale

Film Editing by
Dominique Marcombe

Production Design by
Hamze Nasrallah

Sound Department
Nicolas Cantin	....	sound
David Rit	....	sound assistant

Visual Effects by
Ronan Broudin	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Gus Khazaka	....	grip

Music Department
John Bilezikjian	....	musician: flute
Jeff Seitz	....	music co-producer

Production Companies

• 38 Productions
• ACCI
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Ciné Libre
• Douri Films
• Exposed Film Productions AS
• La Sept-Arte
• Ministère de la Culture de la Republique Française
• Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK)
• Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF)

Distributors

• Angel Films (Scandinavia)
• Cowboy Booking International (1999) (USA) (subtitled)
• Swift Distribution
• Tadrart Films
• Vértigo Films (Spain)
• trigon-film (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Beyrouth Al Gharbiyya (Lebanon: Arabic title)
West Beirut (Canada: English title)
West Beyrouth (France)

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:105 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Country:

France | Belgium | Norway | Lebanon

Language:

Arabic | French

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Beirut, Lebanon

Company:

38 Productions

Trivia:

The title "West Beyrouth" has the first word "West" in English, and the spelling of the second word "Beyrouth" in French. The director said that it's an allegory to the trilingual cultrue existing in Lebanon: Arabic being the native language, and French and English being the 2 other quintessential languages spoken there.

Goofs:

Factual errors: On 13 April 1975, while class is in session, Tarek watches the ambush of the bus from the balcony of his school in Christian-dominated East Beirut. 13 April 1975 was a Sunday. Schools in East Beirut are closed on Sundays.

Movie Connections:

References Airport 1975 (1974)

Soundtrack:

Bambi Saïdi

Congrats on this truely poignant work

rarely does one see a film that represent what is real behind a war. This movie takes a strikingly real look on what war is to the poeple that surround it, to the students that grow during it, and to the neighbourhoods that survive it. It vivaviously captures the hopeful streak of taking pleasure in existing no matter what the odds. Coming from a Lebanese director; it is a non-indulgent petite masterpiece that may just rescusitate a form of cinema with an honesty only yearned for in that part of the world.

Bravo.