West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants) (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

  (Credited cast)

Rami Doueiri	...	Tarek Noueri
Naamar Sahli
Mohamad Chamas	...	Omar (as Mouhidine Guerra)
Rola Al Amin	...	May (as Rolande Amin)
Carmen Lebbos	...	Hala Noueri - Tarek's mother (as Carmen Loubbos)
Joseph Bou Nassar	...	Riad Noueri - Tarek' father (as Joseph Nassar)
Liliane Nemri	...	Neighbor (as Liliane Nemry)
Leïla Karam	...	Oum Walid - the madame (as Leila Karam)
Mahmoud Mabsout	...	Hassan - the baker
Hassan Farhat	...	Roadblock Militiaman
Fadi Abou Khalil	...	Bakery Militiaman (as Fadi Abi Samra)

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 | Norway | Lebanon | Belgium

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:

'Mohammad Chamas' who played Omar in the movie was discovered by accident. At one time while the crew was preparing the set and not having found an actor to play Omar, Mohammed was passing by and he had a fight with one of the crew members. The director noticed him and immediately asked him to play the character. After having lived in an orphanage most of his life, becoming a lead in a motion picture was an important change of pace.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In one scene when Tarek and Omar can't find May and sit down to talk, a Peugeot 505 appears in the background. Peugeot hadn't released their 505 model in 1975-76, the year at which the scene is supposed to happen.

Movie Connections:

References Bullitt (1968)

Soundtrack:

Bambi Saïdi

Very true experience of the Lebanese civil war.

West Beiruth is an excellent film. It reveals the true image of the civil war in Lebanon, through the eyes and adventures of two young friends, on the way to their adulthood. Experiencing love, friendship, a split society, and the horrors of war. West Beiruth is not a high budget movie, but it is very good in Directing, cinematography, script and acting. I would very much recommend it to everybody. It is a must see.