In the Shadow of Beirut
92 mins
The Sabra and Shatila quarters are part of the Lebanese capital Beirut, which was rocked by a violent explosion in 2020, plunging Lebanon into the worst economic crisis in its history. In the poor districts, once provisionally built for Palestinian refugees, the residents live at a subsistence level without papers, without civil rights, without prospects. The documentary weaves the stories of the three families Kujeyje, Daher, Abeed and that of the young father Aboodi Ziani into a searing portrait of life in a city on the brink. The filmmakers accompanied their protagonists over a four-year period between 2018 and 2022 and show how the poorest of the poor firsthand felt the consequences of the gigantic port explosion, Lebanon's historic economic crisis, the corona pandemic and the ever-growing refugee quota. But unmistakable qualities like resilience and hope allow them to survive.
Martin Pieper
Commissioning Editor
Stephen Gerard Kelly
Director of Photography
Johnny Webb
Executive Producer
Kathrin Isberner
Line Producer
Stephen Gerard Kelly
Sound
Johannes Wronka
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Caroline Schaper
Associate Producer
Tim Harries
Original Music Composer
Celine Haddad
Executive Producer
Stephen Gerard Kelly
Writer
Christian Atalah
Drone Cinematographer
Michelle Cunniffe
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Iseult Howlett
Editor
Peter Blaney
Sound Designer
Siobhan Sinnerton
Executive Producer
Stephen Gerard Kelly
Director
Christian Beetz
Producer
Alison Toomey
Producer
Brendan J. Byrne
Producer
Myriam Sassine
Producer