This was a really interesting film. For me it had two main components. One is emotional, linking different stories of war-torn Lebanon in the 1980s, and how one links (or does not link) memory (and regret and denial) with heritage for a younger generation that never knew the country. For me personally, it was amazing how many musical references I could catch (all of them). On that level the film is admirable, engaging, and one can see that all involved partake in what is a deep connection, and catharsis that celebrates survival, however it was achieved. That aspect is worth a 10/10.
However, there is another aspect, which is the structure of the film itself, and what it leaves unexplored as a narrative. I found that some issues, notably related to context and who many of the characters were and what become of them were lacking. That part was not really as convincing as it could have been.
Plot summary
Maia, a single mother, lives in Montreal with her teenage daughter, Alex. On Christmas Eve, they receive an unexpected delivery: notebooks, tapes, and photos Maia sent to her best friend from 1980's Beirut. Maia refuses to open the box or confront its memories, but Alex secretly begins diving into it. Between fantasy and reality, Alex enters the world of her mother's tumultuous, passionate adolescence during the Lebanese civil war, unlocking mysteries of a hidden past.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Two Different Levels
Watched in Paris
Poignant movie and plot, filled with emotions. The archival aspect makes an innovative way of talking about the Civil war in Lebanon. The storyline describes what most children of 'civil war affected' parents live... the denial, secrecy and lack of sharing is fought through the search of answers from the daughter.
Watched This in Cairo International Film Festvial
That was a good movie that took me through the journey of what it is to live and love through civil war.
I loved the way the producers chose to show the mother's memories, the plot was very simple yet strong and engaging.
The ending was a bit dreamy, but from what I understood from the makers is that it is meant to give hope to the audience.