This is a superb film, full of suspense and excellent court scenes. It was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival as well as at TIFF. At Venice, Kamel El Basha won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. It was selected as the Lebanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards, and marks Lebanon’s first ever entry into the Oscar race.

Lebanese Christian Tony (Adel Karam) and Palestinian refugee Yasser (Kamel El Basha) exchange harsh words after Yasser tries to repair a drainpipe on Tony's balcony. The fallout leads to violence, courtroomconfrontations and national attention. In today's Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices.

I liked the last scene which I won´t reveal but touches on the human factor and the Christian sense of forgiveness.The movie opens in theatres in Vancouver on February 23rd.

© 2018 Ed Farolan