West Beirut (film)

Infobox Film
name = West Beirut - بيروت الغربية

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caption =
imdb_rating =
director = Ziad Doueiri
producer =
writer = Ziad Doueiri
starring = Rami Doueiri Mohamad Chamas Rola Al Amin
music = Stewart Copeland
cinematography = Ricardo Jacques Gale
editing = Dominique Marcombe
distributor =
released = 1998
runtime = 105 min.
country =
language = Arabic
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
mpaa_rating =
imdb_id = 0157183

"West Beirut" (Arabic: "Beyrout Al Gharbiyya" — بيروت الغربية) is a 1998 Lebanese drama film written and directed by Ziad Doueiri.

Plot

In April, 1975, civil war breaks out; Beirut is partitioned along a Muslim-Christian line and is divided into East and West Beirut. 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. Family tensions rise. As he comes of age, the war moves inexorably from adventure to tragedy.

Awards

The film has won the "Prix François Chalais" at the Directors' fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival in 1998.Golden Globe awards

Cast

*Rami Doueiri (Tarek)
*Mohamad Chamas (Omar)
*Rola Al-Amin (May)
*Carmen Lebbos (Hala,Tarek's mother)
*Joseph Bou Nassar (Riad,Tarek' father)
*Liliane Nemri (Neighbor)
*Leïla Karam (Brothel Madam)
*Hassan Farhat (actor) (Roadblock Militiaman)
*Mahmoud Mabsout (Baker)
*Fadi Abou Khalil (Bakery Militiaman)

External links

*
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRgpI8ea6t8 Trailer of the movie]