Lebanon

I really hope one of the other bloggers went to Retour De Flamme, cos I wasn’t able to and it sounded amazing.

I wasn’t able because while it was on I was at Lebanon. I tells you, I’ve been spoiled, I say spoiled by this festival. This is one of the most amazing films I’ve ever seen. Not in the way of Ajami(political dissection) or Snow White and Russian Red(bonkers non-linear storytelling), but in terms of approach. With the exception of the first and last shots, it’s shot entirely inside a tank, with our only view of the outside world the one we share with the tank’s Gunner Shmulik(a jewish nickname for Samuel, which is the director’s name, natch); the crosshair imposing turret gun.
          People will insist on politicising Israeli movies,and while I understand that and while is clearly a contentious subject, this is not a film to be glossed over with an dismissive Boycott attitude; it’s far too important. The Q&A with Samuel Moaz afterwards was one of the best I’ve ever seen. He clearly stated(despite slightly broken English) several times that this was not about Israel or Palestine or even really Lebanon; this was about soldier’s and what it means to be one. The psychic cost of forcing another human’s death, the knowledge that while 50% of balconies are hostile and you can’t check every one, 50% of the time you’re firing a shell into the balcony of civilians, it’s horrific and I really don’t see it fair to label it as pro anything; it’s very clearly one man’s experience, which he is honest about. He doesn’t have anyone else’s experiences, so he’s not going to show them here, they’re not what he wants to show. As dominant as all the above are, the most opressive thing is, above all, the noise. My word, the noise. Every second in that tank is aural agony. Clanking and whirring and grinding and puffing and just loud. Add to this the claustrophobia(and if you are in any way claustrophobic I doubt you’ll be able to watch this film) and the smell and the terror and you have an amazing document. I use that word because that’s what Lebanon. It’s a documentation of the reality of something most of us will never have to know. I can’t say I’m glad that I know now, but I really everyone needs to.

Roo

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