Beirut, the Encounter

Zeina (Nadine Acoury) and Haidar (Haitham El Amine) met at university but lost touch due to the raging civil war and the ensuing division of the city. The film tells the story of the cautious renewal of their friendship and the unsuccessful attempts at arranging a meeting. Shot during the Lebanese civil war, BEIRUT, THE ENCOUNTER draws an intimate image of everyday life during the conflict and the attempts of people to lead a life beyond the bare necessities despite the omnipresence of violence. Blurring the borders between documentary and fiction, BEIRUT, THE ENCOUNTER's visual language is direct and sober. It engages the spectator through its realism. In doing so, the film gave birth to a new form of cinema remote from melodrama and pathos. ALFILM is presenting the recently-restored version, which has been screened at the 2022 Berlinale Forum. (pf)