The Valley of Tears (I) (2012) User Reviews

Good

[carmillati · 7/10 · 14 March 2013]

This movie is an original script. It's about a boy who survived the Sabra and Chatila massacres in Lebanon back in 1982. Now he wants his testimony to be published anonymously. He meets with a Canadian publisher and starts telling his story. It is terrifying! I imagine middle age reviewers will not particularly like this movie, though older and intellectual ones will most likely love it. But it's a film about 2 lonely souls even if it talks about redemption, self-sacrifice and hopeful future. It's directed by Maryanne Zéhil, a Canadian/Lebanese woman (which explains the great knowledge of both cultures.) It's beautifully crafted (gorgeous cinematography) and has intelligent dialogues and storytelling. The performances are all around great. Nathalie Coupal is amazing, however, the film probably won't get a large enough release to be on the radar because of unknown cast and French dialogues. Of course, setting the movie in Lebanon (in Canada too) means one of the main character is the location. Beautiful country that may change the way we imagine the Middle-East.

I liked this film.

Best movie ever on Palestinian issue

[gkebbe · 8/10 · 29 January 2013]

La Vallee des larmes is a heartfelt movie that grabs you by the throat and never let you go. I have seen a lot of films that talks about Palestinian issues, but never seen one with this depth, with such a pertinent and intelligent way of dealing with the subject, with a lot of feelings and emotion and yet in a very discreet way. I was amazed to know that the director is not Palestinian, because I thought the way the story was going deeper and deeper, that no one can ever tell something like that unless they've lived it. That's even more admirable, to be able to tell the story of someone else as if it was your own. I recommend it highly!

Worth watching!

[n-vrose · 8/10 · 26 June 2013]

The Valley of Tears may not deliver everything you expect because of its limited budget, but it is powerful. Director Maryanne Zehil presents a personal view of historic events that took place in Lebanon, a country in which she grew before settling in Canada. A full-length feature, filmed with subtlety and honesty. The Valley of Tears is beautifully done and get its message across clearly. It is definitely worth seeing for its visuals, performances, dialogues and score. Director Maryanne Zehil presents a personal view of historic events that took place in Lebanon, a country in which she grew before settling in Canada. An hour and a half, french and some arabic dialogues with English subtitles.

Irresolute

[MikeyB1793 · 6/10 · 28 June 2016]

To start off positively I felt the two main characters in this film gave powerful performances and were convincing as two lost and bereaved souls – more so Joseph Antaki who played a man from Lebanon suffering from past atrocities. These two main characters encounter each other in Montreal.

What left me perplexed was the story-line. I was left wondering what exactly motivated Joseph to do what he did. At the end there was no fulfillment as to this searing question. When Marie, the book publisher who is receiving his unsolicited manuscripts, goes to Lebanon some is revealed – but this leaves more issues dangling. We find out that Joseph had a wife and two children of which we are told little of, and a mother who has a pervasive influence over her son. They are all still living in Lebanon, except Joseph. In the end I was left wondering, why after twenty years, did he take a murderous pathway?

I could not connect the dots. In other words what about his wife and children? Why did they leave the convent?

Powerful

[juliebergeron72 · 10/10 · 11 September 2012]

It is a little bit slow at the beginning but I could see how important that was for me a- to understand the story b- to get deeper and deeper in the plot. This film started to grow on me, little by little, and at the end I was totally under its powerful spell... I recommend you to see this film with concentration because I thought it is a fine grained story with a lot of emotion. It is like a puzzle where all the pieces come in place at the end. Marie is so touching and Joseph too. As for the mother, I coulnd't understand a word she said but just by looking at her I could feel every word coming out of her mouth! La Vallee des larmes is a terrific film!

Courageous

[ElShourbagyFarid · 10/10 · 8 December 2012]

Very very courageous film and very strong story and ending. The director is very courageous to make such a film with a subject so strong. She is an inspiration and her very beautiful film is the best one I saw at the festival. She should have won best film for Human rights competition because she is so courageous and she shows a subject that nobody will ever have the courage to talk about. And she never takes any side, not Muslim, not Christian, not israeli. I admire the way that she choose to make her movie, a very human level. She has all my admiration. I recommend this very beautiful and very touching film and wish you can see it.

excellent

[loriabboud · 10/10 · 13 September 2012]

excellent movie! Very emotional and very powerful. The director said that it is not like Incendies but I think it is! Actually it is more intellectual as a film but as powerful as Incendies. Also, I don't see a big relation with Valse with Bashir, even though it talks about the same events. La Vallee of tears is more like an intimate film that has the brilliant way to bring the whole image of what is happening in this part of the world through the desperate lives of Marie the Canadian and Joseph the Lebanese/Palestinian, two solitudes like we say in Canada about Quebec. Anyway, it shook the hell out of me... My boyfriend, Canadian, was less moved, I guess it is a matter of being Lebanese myself... but he liked it as well!

I like so much

[marwamamdouh · 10/10 · 8 December 2012]

The relationship between the Canadian woman and the Lebanese man is a so gentle and so delicate. The director succeed in creating Arab character that is so very different from what usually show us. This is how I know my husband, gentle and kind. I also was very impressed by the subject the director have decide to tell because she is not afraid of the film she did and she is very open to talk about why and how. Like Farid I am totally find it courageous because she is Christian and talk about Sabra and Chatila. May God be on her side for all her coming films. Where can I find her first film? The Valley of Tears is gouing to be release in Egypt? I will be happy to recommend it.

Must see

[Laurenh682 · 9/10 · 5 April 2013]

"Just when you think "The Valley of Tears" is going to be another good-for-you we-must- never-forget history movie -- about the 1982 massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon, which have been forgotten by most of the world -- a shocking act of contemporary violence jolts the film into action. It is carried by the powerful performances of Joseph Antaki as Joseph, a secretive, sad- eyed immigrant to Montreal with a tragic past, and Nathalie Coupal as Marie, the depressive alcoholic Canadian genocide-book publisher who tries to convince him that to tell his story will be healing.

But then, a terrible act of revenge shatters Marie's plan, and she must travel to Lebanon to try to uncover the truth of Joseph's story. There she learns not only about Joseph's past, but also confronts some painful truths about herself. Truth about the massacres, which to this day remains a controversial topic in Lebanon and Israel, is harder to find. But healing, at least for Marie and Joseph's family, is at last seen as possible." LDM The Plaindealer