More About Film
Disorder weaves together four short stories, each reflecting the realities of Lebanese life and the complex relationships among its people over the past five years. Set against a backdrop of crises that began in 2019 and continue today, the narrative captures a thwarted revolution, an economic crisis, currency collapse, a pandemic outbreak, the Beirut port explosion, a presidential vacuum, and other calamities. These events have accumulated into a ticking time bomb, poised to detonate at any moment, portrayed with both calm introspection and chaotic hysteria.In the first segment, The Group, directed by Lucien Bourjeily, we meet passionate activists yearning for change. Gathering in an apartment to strategize a revolutionary movement, their unity unravels when they discover someone eavesdropping on their discussions. Bourjeily captures the hopes that authorities have tried to extinguish.The second segment, Motherland directed by Bane Fakih, combines comedy and sharp satire. It centers on a mother and her three daughters within their apartment. Tension arises when the mother learns that her rebellious daughter has joined the revolution, despite the family's allegiance to a rival political party.Comedy also features prominently in Wissam Charaf’s Don’t Panic We follow a man who becomes a "life coach," teetering on the brink of despair after losing his income. By chance, he runs into someone he once saved, who now comes to his rescue, leading to an unexpected turn of events.Finally, in A Piece of Heaven, directed by Areej Mahmoud, a comedian faces accusations of summoning a meteor to wreak havoc. As the city’s inhabitants flee, our protagonist finds himself isolated in empty streets. Together, these four films, each with its own cinematic approach, depict an absurd reality that has long surpassed any attempts at understanding.Hauvick Habechian