In the Battlefields

Set in 1983, Arbid’s compelling debut feature observes twin civil conflicts: the war in Beirut and the implosion of an extended family, seen through the watchful eyes of 12-year-old Lina. The girl is both victimised and corrupted by her milieu, including her father, a compulsive gambler prone to violence; her cold, frazzled mother; her cruel-tongued aunt; and Auntie’s alluring Syrian maid, who offers Lina both rare friendship and uses her as cover for her many secret affairs. All the while, bombs fall and guns pop in the distance… Eloquently reticent and bravely grim, the film captures a searing double image of brutality at home and away without a hint of contrivance.