IMDb > West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants) (1998)
West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants)
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West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants) (1998) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   1,095 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Ziad Doueiri

Writer:

Ziad Doueiri (writer)

Contact:

View company contact information for West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants) on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

30 October 1998 (Norway) more

Genre:

Drama more

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Awards:

6 wins & 2 nominations more

User Comments:

Thank God for Indie Movie Channels and the Indies they show more (47 total)


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)
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

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

Runtime:

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

Language:

Arabic | French

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1 more

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 more


Fun Stuff

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. more

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. more

Movie Connections:

References Airport 1975 (1974) more

Soundtrack:

Bambi Saïdi more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
Thank God for Indie Movie Channels and the Indies they show, 30 October 2002
10/10
Author: CullenCooks from West Hollywood, Ca.

Thank God for IFC and the Sundance Channel here in the U.S. Without these two channels, there are so many films that I otherwise would never have known about less alone actually watched: especially living in the heart of Los Angeles, Studio Capital of the World. I was lucky enough though to stumble upon West Beirut and I just fell in love with it. Somebody in the user comments section said that it was "a very beautiful and funny film if you are arabic", but I'd have to strongly disagree because as a westerner and and an american I found it perhaps even more funny and beautiful as a result of where I come from. Not to get into politics, but it's kind of hard not to, it is so refreshing and wonderful and eye opening to see a film with arab characters in their homeland living their lives the way they really did and would instead of only knowing that part of the world from the violence that is constantly strewn about on the evening news and the constant 'propaganda machine' of american media which seems to be totally controlled and run nowadays by corporations and pharmaceutical companies. This movie, for me, just reinforced the idea that we are all alike no matter where we live on this planet and I find it sad to think that the only way I have to find out and appreciate a history lesson on Beirut or the life of the lebanese is through a film. Being an american, if you listen to our government at all, it would be a really bad idea to travel to the middle east. And so without films like this, it would be impossible for me to experience the oneness of all of us or a glimpse of a country and it's culture. What a beautiful idea it would be to cut out the Bush administration and all the other governments for a month out of the year and allow everyone from each country to go and look at the other side. I think we'd all benefit strongly. Until then, I'll thank movies like West Beirut for being made and allowing me the luxury of being part of another world for a couple of hours.

A great film.

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