Civilisées

Civilisées (A Civilized People or Al Mutahaddirat) is a 1999 Lebanese dark comedy drama film written and directed by filmmaker Randa Chahal Sabag.[3] The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 1999 and later screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was also screened at the Arab Film Festival in San Francisco, California.[3]

Civilisées (A Civilized People)
Directed byRanda Chahal Sabag
Written byRanda Chahal Sabag
Produced byDaniel Toscan du Plantier
Frédéric Sichler
StarringJalila Baccar
Carmen Lebbos
Tamim Chahal
Myra Maakaron
Bruno Todeschini
CinematographyRicardo Jacques
Gale Breidi
Roby Breidi
Edited byJuliette Weifling
Music byZiad Rahbani
Production
company
Euripide Productions[1]
Release date
Running time
97 minutes[2]
CountryLebanon
LanguagesArabic
French

Premise

During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), many well-off Lebanese families fled the country to look for their personal interests internationally, leaving their residences under the care of maids and laborers from Egypt, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The film draws a portrait of a war-tormented Beirut neighborhood, and the love between a Muslim militia fighter and a Christian maid.

Cast

Release

Due to the controversial topic of the film and its critique of the Lebanese elite,[4] it had only one screening in Lebanon at the Beirut International Film Festival, and was also later banned by the Lebanese Film Commission.[3] However, it received positive responses from international audiences, including at film festivals in Italy, France, and Canada.

Accolades

In 2000, the film won the Nestor Almendros Award at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival.[5][2] At the 1999 Venice Film Festival, the film won the UNESCO Award (tied with Zion, Auto-Emancipation) and was nominated for the Cinema of the Present - Lion of the Year Award.[6]

References
  1. "Civilisées". Unifrance. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  2. "A Civilized People (Mutahaddirat)". ArteEast. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  3. "Civilisees (Civilized People)". Arab Film Festival. Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. Hoang, Mai (March 2004). "Lebanese Filmmaker: Randa Chahal Sabbag". World Press Review. 51 (3). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  5. "Human Rights Watch World Report 2001" (PDF). hrw.org. 2001. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  6. "A Civilized People | Civilisées". Olhares do Mediterrâneo (in European Portuguese). 29 October 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
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