Lebanon, late 1980s. Khalil reappears, after a ten-year absence, in the lives of those who believed him dead. A somber reflection on the meaning of life in a torn country.
“Listening to the ‘actors’ of this film in the making, but also to the many people I met…, the obviousness of a narrative—or rather, of a plural history—became clear to me. The history(ies) of Lebanon, I told myself. And I had almost titled the film that way. I thought to myself that if the victors write history, what happens when there are only the vanquished (admittedly to varying degrees)? What happens when the frame and the off-screen, to use one of cinema’s obsessions, both stubbornly find themselves in the same off-screen?” (Ghassan Salhab)
Special Screening – PRÉLUDES
Long overlooked,*Beyrouth Fantôme*, an essential work by one of the Middle East’s most distinctive voices, will be presented at FIDMarseille in a version restored by Préludes, in partnership with the CNC and Les Films de l’Altaï, and supervised by the filmmaker.
Préludes is a free VOD platform dedicated to the debut films of now-renowned filmmakers (Mathieu Amalric, Yolande Zauberman, Raoul Peck, etc.), which contributes to the preservation of films through restoration.
This screening marks the announcement of Shellac’s upcoming release of a complete retrospective of the filmmaker’s six feature-length fiction films—including two previously unreleased titles—in theaters and on DVD in the first quarter of 2024.