A sad and beautiful world: butterflies in your stomach and an aching heart

“It is a revelation that Beirut is the place within us, a place we carry inside, one from which we can never truly escape”, says fondly producer George Schoucair. After watching the premiere at ABC Achrafieh, with the entire cast and crew who felt more like a family, a feeling of longing and a touch of sadness lingered. The title captures beautifully, and sadly, the movie’s storyline.  

Lebanon’s ministry of culture officially selected this film as the country ‘s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, highlighting the magnitude of this production and its national significance. Although it wasn’t in the final nominations, director and screenwriter Cyril Aris sees this as a huge honor and accomplishment, especially since it’s his first feature film.

Receiving a privilege from his home country is of the utmost importance to him, and he gives it the same weight as the accolades he has received from Lebanese audiences who are telling him: “This film really represents us as Lebanese in the way we cope with everything we’ve been through. It captures the sense of humor, spirit and the heartbeat of Beirut”. The mere inclusion in that list with all the biggest films made around the world and having his name mentioned next to big directors is an accomplishment.

A lust for life

The purpose of the movie is to leave the audience feeling fulfilled and like they’ve experienced falling in love again, the butterflies in your stomach, the intricacies of relationships and trying to make them work. “A lust for life and hope towards the future of this country. It lies in the relationships that we build on this land, and the belief in a better outcome through art and cinematic work”, affirms Cyril.

The film was originally scheduled to shoot in October 2024. However, when the director’s wife became pregnant, rather than postponing, they were compelled to accelerate the shoot. “This presented another dilemma: we had to begin filming while the country was in a highly volatile state, with the conflict in the south intensifying and the threat of a full-scale war looming”, explains producer George Schoucair.

The war erupted a few months after they wrapped, and on the last day of shooting, Cyril became a father. “Despite these challenges, we managed to complete the film on time. In retrospect, postponing it would have been a disaster”.

Fertile ground

In the words of the lead actor Hasan Akil playing the part of Nino, “love is what drives us forward and gives meaning to our life. Love is like a plant that you water every day, but for that plant to survive you need fertile ground”. From his experience traveling around the world, he has not seen a country more beautiful than Lebanon. Unfortunately, the soil is corrupted “with worms that eat at us and won't let us breath, and by that, I mean the corrupted politicians, every single one that doesn't think about transforming Lebanon into the heaven that it can be”. Love brings satisfaction in a country like Lebanon, but it can also be simply an escape.

This movie will resonate with Lebanese abroad due to its relatable humor and the themes it moves through, from the comedic aspects of Lebanese life to the sorrow and pain that come with this nationality. “And food!”, exclaims Hasan.

As it happens, the soulful feature is director Mounia Akl’s first acting experience. She directed Costa Brava Lebanon starring Nadine Labaki and Saleh Bakri, and the last three episodes of the Netflix show House of Guiness. “The idea of getting out of my comfort zone and putting myself in front of the camera was really scary because I haven’t acted since I was a teenager”. The challenge was letting herself go to the vision of someone else and not being self-conscious about how she speaks and carries herself, just be Yasmina.

Mounia has a lot in common with the character she portrays. “This constant question of whether to leave or to stay in the country, to trust or not to trust, to let go completely, to love, the uncertainty that comes with it, and being open to getting hurt”. Like Yasmina, Mounia is a big romantic, but she likes to make sure she won’t get hurt, these two concepts contradicting each other sometimes. They share a deep-seated love for the people around them and showing up for them. What’s more, they both have “this constant back and forth between being hopeful and cynical about the reality of the world we live in, which is falling apart”.

A balancing act

“A sad and beautiful world” explores the sacrifices a Lebanese career-driven woman is willing to make for love. In her personal life, Mounia chose not to let her career define every decision she makes. She opted for a balance of love and life. Most significantly, she chose not to follow a path that is only predetermined and pragmatic.

She tries to be more in touch with her emotions, leading her to this conclusion: “what is career without experiencing love?”. In congruence with Yasmina, she would not make one complete radical choice over the other, “I’m a person who likes the idea of trying to incorporate both things in your life and surrounding yourself with people who support your desire”. Pursuing ambitions as a driven woman, all the while incorporating love, is not always easy, but it’s the dream.

The movie accomplishes what it sets out to do, leaving the audience with the desire for love and longing for Beirut.