Zozo

The movie deals with the agony of a young Lebanese boy who witnesses the death of his family and is when he is finally sent to live in Sweden with his grandparents, finds himself out-casted in a foreign society.

Josef Fares, cleverly represents the Lebanse society living through a horrible situation. The characterization and narrative allow the audience to strongly connect with the film as it something that we as Lebanese feel deeply connected with, having being affected by the civil war in one way or another.

From the technical side, the cinematography and use of visual effects were very well done again, inviting the audience into the world of the film. As an aspiring Lebanese filmmaker, it gives me a great feeling to know that there are talented Lebanese filmmakers all over the whole who still believe and are devoted to developing the Lebanese film industry. I strongly applaud director Josef Fares and I look forward to watching more of his films.

What can i say. Joseph Fares has managed to capture on film the experience of what it meant to be Lebanese and to be in Lebanon during the war. Away from any and all politicization, away from the savagery and brutality the film is able to project the "Human" face of what anyone of us would go through given the circumstances. I left in 1989 as well, but i was one of the fortunate ones and my family remained safe. What Joseph and Zozo (actor) were able to produce together was beyond remarkable. Beauty indeed is found in simplicity, so is power. Carmen Lebbos who plays zozo's mother in this unfolding story is also able to bring the best of her game and i wouldn't be surprised if the film is able to capture more than one home run at the Oscars. Goodluck :) Hint: in Lebanon we call Joseph --> ZoZo :)

All four of my grandparents hail from Lebanon so this warm and engaging film really hit home with me. I was never able to take my grandparents back to Lebanon because the civil war was going on. This film makes it clear how horrible and wrenching that civil war was. Zozo is an 11 year old boy who lives with his parents and two siblings in an apartment in Beirut. Just as his family is able to flee Beirut tragedy strikes. Zozo finds solace in a talking chicken (trust me-- it works) and a young girlfriend. He finds peace and nurturing in Sweden with his beloved grandparents but is still in many ways an outcast. The film tells a beautiful, heartwarming story.

An 11-year old Lebanese boy Zozo (Imad Creidi) moves to Sweden from his heavily bombed home country after a tragedy occurs in his family. In Sweden he is welcomed by his loving grandparents (Elias Gergi and Yasmine Awad) but adapting to a new environment and learning a new language aren't easy for the boy who still suffers from painful memories of his old life in Lebanon.

The first half of the film takes place in Lebanon, which the brownish, orange-tinted cinematography paints as hot but full of light. In the midst of the frequent violent incidents in the city, Zozo's family loves him and wishes to give him a better future abroad. After arriving in Sweden, the mood changes from dangerous to longing, partly due to the beautifully green and bright Swedish summer that highlights the contrast between the two countries. His grandfather's lovable antics help him to get over past traumas and lead to some comedic incidents, but a sense of loneliness lingers on and Zozo knows that there's more to life than the grandfather's simplistic teachings suggest.

Besides the realistic portrayal of Zozo's experiences at the Lebanese streets and the Swedish school, the movie spices things up by adding an extra layer of fantasy in the form of creations from Zozo's imagination. Be it a talking chicken, a God-like ball of light or an explosive reaction to school-bullies, the visualizations of Zozo's inner world provide interesting insight to his character and make the film more memorable than the average dramas about adapting to new life.

Zozo is director Josef Fares' first move into a more serious territory after the comedic Jalla! Jalla! and Kopps, and as such it succeeds effortlessly. The story is inspired by Fares' own experiences as a young immigrant in Sweden, and his insight on the subject produces an effective piece of cinema with well balanced tragic and comical aspects. Thanks to Imad Creidi's unforced performance as Zozo and the bubbling joie de vivre of his grandfather, the film can be recommended to anyone interested in immigration-related cinema, but the sense of being an outsider in a group should appeal to big audiences as well.

The movie is well done, I like it very much.... It is indeed very cruel hard and tough for the boy... but while you see the movie you smile at the same time. I never know there is such good Lebanese director. Mabrouk. Maybe one thing.. I like the end of the movie... it shows the innocence of children... and from nothing they are trying to be happy in life... But I think the end is also sad.. there is a feeling of sadness with this peaceful end of the last picture of the movie.. so I think it is little exaggerating as drama. But again all the movie is excellent!

I arrived 5 minutes late to the theater, so I hope to see it again later.