Under the Bombs (2007) Sous les bombes (original title)

Director:

Philippe Aractingi

Writers:

Michel Léviant
Philippe Aractingi

Release Date:

21 March 2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

In the wake of Israel's 2006 bombardment of Lebanon, a determined woman finds her way into the country convincing a taxi cab driver to take a risky journey around the scarred region in search of her sister and her son.

Plot Keywords:

Lebanon | Death | Bomb | Mass Murder | Shocking Truth

Awards:

8 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Nada Abou Farhat	...	Zeina
Georges Khabbaz	...	Tony
Rawia Elchab	...	Hotel Receptionist
Bshara Atallah	...	Journalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elham Abbas	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Iman Affara	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Zahra Ali	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Ali Maerouf Amer	...	L'enfant Ali
Ali Azour	...	Le chauffeur de camion
Georges Bajem	...	Ami de Tony
Ali Bakri	...	Le policier
Kamal Balhas	...	Le père de Zaynab
Zaynab Balhas	...	Zaynab
Mohamed Bashasha	...	Le responsable port de Saïda
Inaya Bazzi	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Ahmad Chaalan	...	Volontaire de la croix rouge
Georges Chahine	...	L'ami de Tony
Roy Bu Daher	...	Volontaire de la croix rouge
Najat Darwish	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Akila Dawi	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Ali Dawi	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Haifa El Khatib	...	La femme de la station service
Zaynab El Sayed	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Mohamed Fakih	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Antonio Feghali	...	Le religieux
Orla Guerin	...	La journaliste de la BBC
Hussein Hadraj	...	Volontaire de la croix rouge
Harwan Hijazi	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Nadine Kahil	...	Volontaire de la croix rouge
Hussein Koudouh	...	Ami d'Ali
Sawsan Mawaseen	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Ali Mcheimech	...	Le vieillard
Hadi Medhi	...	Tarek
Selti Meixner	...	Journaliste
Mohamed Mroueh	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Paul Rafael	...	Ami d'Ali
Mounifeh Salameh	...	La tante de Tony
Wallid Sallah	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Amin Saïd	...	Ami de Tony
Sultan Sleiman	...	Journaliste
Hanna Snarberg	...	Journaliste
Aycha Takach	...	Saïda - dans l'école
Emilie Tannous	...	La religieuse
Noémie Videau	...	Journaliste
Sami Yarbek	...	Volontaire de la croix rouge

Directed by
Philippe Aractingi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Philippe Aractingi
Michel Léviant

Produced by
Philippe Aractingi	....	producer
Hervé Chabalier	....	producer
Claude Chelli	....	executive producer
François Cohen-Séat	....	producer
Maya Hariri	....	co-producer (as Maya Zouai-Hariri)
Joffrey Hutin	....	co-producer
Nathalie Leyendecker	....	executive producer
Henri Magalon	....	co-executive producer
Paul Raphael	....	producer
Bruno Seznec	....	co-producer

Original Music by
René Aubry
Lazare Boghossian

Cinematography by
Nidal Abdul Khalek

Film Editing by
Deena Charara

Production Management
Benedicte Gardies	....	post-production manager
Elisabeth Giusti	....	production manager
Nathalie Juchet	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bshara Atallah	....	first assistant director
Hiba Njahdi	....	second assistant director
Anjo Rihane	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Mouhab Chanehsaz	....	sound recordist
Fabien Devillers	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rana Eid	....	sound editor
Piste Rouge	....	sound: studio
Bruno Seznec	....	sound studio manager
Bruno Seznec	....	sound supervisor

Other crew
Sébastien Bouyges	....	production assistant
Aurore Jactat	....	legal
François Sauvagnargues	....	fiction director: ARTE

Production Companies

• Rhamsa Productions (co-production)
• Art'Mell
• Arte France (participation)
• Capa
• Fantascope Production
• Starfield Productions

Distributors

• Bir Film (2008) (Turkey) (all media) (limited)
• Art'Mell (2008) (France) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2008) (UK) (theatrical)
• Film Movement (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• New Star (2008) (Greece) (all media)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2009) (2011) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

"Sous les bombes" - France (original title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

France | Lebanon | UK

Language:

Arabic | English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Company:

Rhamsa Productions

Trivia:

Lebanon's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category.

Sex scene

I did not think that the sex scene was awkward in the movie; I found it quite appropriate. It is clear that Tony is attracted to Zeina, so when a decent substitute comes along for him to express his sexual desire, it seems genuine. The innkeeper may have exaggerated on being scared of the wind, but in wartime there is a sense of alienation and a desire to unify, even if in the most banal ways. Tony is portrayed as a sort-of loner, working man. He initially helps Zeina most likely because of her beauty; I believe he was staring at her breasts when he first offered to help her. As the two bonded on their journey, Tony opened up about his past and became more sympathetic. This is the crux of the character development. The simplicity of the relationship and the romantic nuances exemplify the human spirit. In essence, Tony discovered that he didn't just want to "bang" Zeina, but he generally appreciated her for being herself. Likewise, Zeina became less guarded over time and looked to Tony for comfort, especially in the wake of her divorce and her newfound independence. Zeina had a desire to return to her roots and Tony, also being from the same region, comes to be a representation of her own identity.