Lebanon (2009)

Director:

Samuel Maoz

Writer:

Samuel Maoz (written by)

Release Date:

15 October 2009 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

Plot Keywords:

Tank | Tank Crew | Lebanon | Lebanon War | Female Frontal Nudity

Awards:

14 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Yoav Donat	...	Shmulik
Itay Tiran	...	Assi
Oshri Cohen	...	Hertzel
Michael Moshonov	...	Yigal
Zohar Shtrauss	...	Gamil (as Zohar Strauss)
Dudu Tassa	...	Syrian Captive
Ashraf Barhom	...	1st Phalangist (as Ashraf Barhum)
Fares Hananya	...	2nd Phalangist
Reymond Amsalem	...	Lebanese Mother (as Reymonde Amsellem)
Bian Antir	...	Lebanese Father
Aisha	...	Lebanese child
Fatima	...	Lebanese child (as Fatma)
Khaled Salam	...	Lebanese Boy (as Khaled Salama)
Iad Abu Nama	...	BMW Driver
Hussein Mahagna	...	Truck Driver
David Volach	...	Army Doctor
Aryeh Cherner	...	Cornelia (as Arye Cherner)
Gur Nedzvetsky	...	Israeli soldiers supervisor (voice)
Guy Hillel	...	Israeli soldier
Itay Balzi	...	Israeli soldier (as Itay Baizi)
Itay Atar	...	Israeli soldier
Michael Dubin	...	Israeli soldier
Alon Yaashar	...	Israeli soldier (as Alon Ysashar)
Matan Elias	...	Israeli soldier
Gil Sagir	...	Israeli soldier
Erez Eingel	...	Israeli soldier
Daniel Fishman	...	Israeli Soldier
Fares Natur	...	Lebanese warrior
Muhamed Salama	...	Lebanese warrior
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abdallah El Akal	...	Lebanese Boy

Directed by
Samuel Maoz

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Samuel Maoz		written by

Produced by
Anat Bikel	....	producer
Rémi Burah	....	co-producer
Leon Edery	....	producer
Moshe Edery	....	producer
Sonja Ewers	....	executive producer
Ilann Girard	....	producer
Benjamina Mirnik	....	producer
Uri Sabag	....	producer
Gil Sassower	....	executive producer
David Silber	....	producer
Meir Tetzet	....	line producer

Original Music by
Nicolas Becker
Benoît Delbecq

Cinematography by
Giora Bejach

Film Editing by
Arik Leibovitch

Casting by
Hila Yuval

Production Design by
Ariel Roshko

Costume Design by
Hila Bargiel
Laura Sheim

Makeup Department
Orly Ronen	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Guy Courtecuisse	....	post-production supervisor
Achim Strack	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Avichai Henig	....	first assistant director
Shir Shoshani	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Andrew Chernakov	....	painter
Chen Ohayon	....	set dresser
Albert Segal	....	property master

Sound Department
Alex Claude	....	sound designer
Stefan Colli	....	sound post-production manager
Israel David	....	adr mixer
Tobias Fleig	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lis	....	sound mixer
Jan Petzold	....	sound effects editor
Sebastian Pohle	....	foley editor
John Purcell	....	dialogue editor
Oded Ringel	....	boom operator
Wilmont Schulze	....	foley artist
Bar On Shelly	....	adr recosdist
Sebastian Stroux	....	foley mixer

Visual Effects by
Andreas Fröhlich	....	colorist
Sebastian Kaltmeyer	....	visual effects

Stunts
Alex Ayfer	....	stunts
Sergei Baladinsky	....	stunts
Genady Gorodeisky	....	stunts
Alex Osmolovsky	....	stunts
Dimitry Osmolovsky	....	stunt coordinator
Anatoly Rudol	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Shimon Belfer	....	rigging gaffer
Ido Ben-Cna'an	....	first assistant camera
Aviezer Dasberg	....	gaffer
Roi Mano	....	key grip
Uri Montilya	....	first assistant camera
Lital Shahar	....	second assistant camera
Orion Szydel	....	second assistant camera
Eli Turgeman	....	lighting technician
Kobi Zaig-Mendez	....	director of photography: second unit

Music Department
Nicolas Becker	....	composer: theme music
Alex Claude	....	musical director
Benoît Delbecq	....	musician
Ron Klein	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Nicholas Frank	....	production associate
Alexis Perrin	....	production assistant
Michael Schmid-Ospach	....	financer: Germany (as Michael Schmidt-Ospach)

Thanks
Bertrand Le Delezir	....	the producers wish to thank
Bernhard Speck	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Ariel Films
• Arsam International
• Arte France
• Israeli Film Fund
• Metro Communications
• Paralite
• Paralite
• Torus

Distributors

• ABC Distribution (2010) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• ABC Distribution (2010) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• CTV International (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Entertainment (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Maple Pictures (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• New Lineo Cinemas (2010) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Primewave Nexeed (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Senator Film (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Argentina Video Home (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2010) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Audio Visual Entertainment (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• CN Entertainment (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Canana Films (2010) (Mexico) (all media)
• Europa Filmes (2010) (Brazil) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore (2010) (Italy) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Metrodome Distribution (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Rialto Distribution (2011) (Australia) (all media)
• Rialto Distribution (2011) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Senator Home Entertainment (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• CinePostproduction

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing bloody war violence, language including sexual references, and some nudity

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Israel | France | Germany

Language:

Hebrew | Arabic | French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45911) | UK:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade) | Finland:K-15 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Sweden:15 | Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Israel

Company:

Ariel Films

Trivia:

The 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon (ostensibly in search of Palestinian guerrillas) is known as "Operation Peace for Galilee" in Israel and "The Invasion" in Arabic.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The car in the courtyard next to the pile of clothes that the woman falls into has a number plate that was introduced in Lebanon in the 90s.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: The A-Team/The Karate Kid/Winter's Bone (#2.20)" (2010)

Metaphors and the realities of war

Writer/director Samuel Maoz has created in his film LEBANON a statement about war we are not likely to forget. Based on his own experiences, this film about the Israeli Invasion of Lebanon in June of 1982 (the first Lebanon war) internalizes the responses of young soldiers sent on a mission that should have seemed simple but became anything but simple. The reason the film's message is so strong is that it forces four young, virginal soldiers in a tiny enclosed atmosphere where they must by proximity depend on each other to confront the whole question of the validity of war. It is exceptionally powerful.

A solitary army tank and a small platoon of paratroopers are sent to assure that a hostile Lebanese town bombed by the Israelis is secure. In the tank are four soldiers - Shmulik (Yoav Donat), Assi (Itay Tiran), Hertzel (the exceptionally handsome and brilliant Oshri Cohen), and Yigal (Michael Moshonov). They are not seasoned soldiers and what lies outside their protective tank is terrifying to them. Inside the tank is a claustrophobic, filthy, smoky, and foul smelling space where the four soldiers are able to view the effects of war and their tenuous grasp on reality through only the periscope of the tank. Occasionally the lid of the tank is opened to drop in a casualty along with a moment of fresh air to breathe, but basically these four men must grapple with the horrors of killing and destruction outside their tank. The aspects of human frailty that war exposes appear like autopsies on the minds and gradual mental deterioration that overtakes each of these vulnerable and emotionally unprepared young men. They may attempt humor but it is thwarted by the gore outside their iron shield of the tank where Lebanese soldiers attack and mothers suffer the loss of their children in the bombings and shootings of the little village. Maoz wisely places enough of the battle scenes outside the confines of the tank, making the audience as shocked by the atrocities of war as viewed from the exterior as the restricted glimpses of that war available to the tank crew.

This is most assuredly an anti-war film but rather than waving flags of attack and endless scenes of gore, Maoz keeps it distilled and in doing so makes it even more horrific. The cast is brilliant, delivering performances so well crafted that they linger in the minds eye long after the film is over. The haunting musical score is by Nicolas Becker and Benoît Delbecq and the almost impossible cinematography is by Giora Bejach . In Hebrew, Arabic, French and English with subtitles. Highly recommended.

Grady Harp