Lebanon has entered Cyril Aris’ romantic drama A Sad and Beautiful World as its candidate for Best International Feature Film in the 98th Academy Awards.
The feature world premiered in Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori (previously known as Venice Days) in September, where it won the audience voted People’s Choice Award.
The Beirut-set drama stars Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl as childhood sweethearts Nino and Yasmina, who lose sight of one another, to reunite in their 20s, with their relationship developing in step with Lebanon’s tumultuous history.
The film marked a return to the big screen for Akl who has focused on directing in recent years with credits including Costa Brava, Lebanon as well as Boiling Point, The Responder and the upcoming dynasty drama House of Guinness.
Akil was previously seen in Memory Box, while other cast members include Julia Kassar, Camille Salameh, Tino Karam, and Nadyn Chalhoub.
A Sad & Beautiful World is Aris’s first fiction feature after documentaries The Swing (2018), which premiered at Karlovy Vary, and Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (2023), which won a Special Jury Mention at Karlovy Vary and screened at BFI London, CPH:DOX, DOC NYC, and over 80 festivals worldwide.
The film is produced by Georges Schoucair at Abbout Productions (Lebanon), Jen Goyne Blake and April Shih at Diversity Hire (USA) and Georg Neubert and Jasper Wiedhöft at Reynard Films (Germany).
It is co-produced with Sunnyland Film, a member of ART and The Red Sea Fund, a Red Sea International Film Festival initiative.
It received the support of Fonds Image de la Francophonie, Doha Film Institute, Visions Sud Est with the support of the SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), the Atlas Workshops and the Lebanese Film Fund (an initiative organized by Fondation Liban Cinema, funded by the European Union).
Following its buzzy Venice premiere, the film screens next at at the Hamburg Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Seminci – Valladolid among other upcoming events.
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