West Beyrouth (À l'abri les enfants)

"Growing up is only half the battle."

Oct 30 1998 PG-13 1h 45m
Comedy, Drama, Romance

In 1975, the long slog of civil war has recently begun in Beirut. Two friends, Tarek and Omar, suffer during the Lebanese civil war. Conflicts arise when they decide to cross from West to East, crossing the Muslim-Christian line that divides Beirut.

Plot

In April, 1975, civil war breaks out; Beirut is partitioned along a Moslem-Christian line. Tarek is in high school, making Super 8 movies with his friend, Omar. At first the war is a lark: school has closed, the violence is fascinating, getting from West to East is a game. His mother wants to leave; his father refuses. Tarek spends time with May, a Christian, orphaned and living in his building. By accident, Tarek goes to an infamous brothel in the war-torn Olive Quarter, meeting its legendary madam, Oum Walid. He then takes Omar and May there using her underwear as a white flag for safe passage. Family tensions rise. As he comes of age, the war moves inexorably from adventure to tragedy.

Written by

Ziad Doueiri

Directed by

Ziad Doueiri

Cast

Rami Doueiri, Naamar Sahli, Mohamad Chamas

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Lebanon, Belgium, France, Norway

Production Companies

CNC, La Sept-Arte, 38 Productions, ACCI, Ciné Libre, Douri Films, NRK, Ministère de la culture, RTBF, Exposed Film Productions AS

Languages

Français

Awards

8 wins & 2 nominations

Scores
# of Votes
5,170
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA