Nadim Mishlawi
Lebanon, United Arab Emirates | 2011 | 70 min
Languages : Arabic, English
Subtitle : English

On the outskirts of Beirut lies Karantina, the now abandoned site of a bloody massacre in 1976. Without feeling the need to show violent images, the visual and aural exploration of Nadim Mishlawi’s impressive first feature guides us into the darkest corners of Lebanese history but also into its collective unconscious.

On the outskirts of Beirut lies now abandoned Karantina which, during its long and sad past, has been an abattoir, a prison and the site of a bloody massacre in 1976. The director uses his camera like a probe to explore this Atlantis engulfed by time and oblivion, inaccessible for nearly twenty years. Entering Karantina proves an almost organic experience: we can virtually touch the materials, feel the humidity, perceive the space – sensations amplified by music composed by the director. Interviews drawing parallels between the site and the history of the country complement these images, turning Karantina and the events that took place there into a metaphor for Lebanon itself.

Even without showing violent images, the visual and aural exploration of Nadim Mishlawi’s impressive first feature guides us into the darkest corners of Lebanese history and also into its collective unconsciousness. 

Jasmin Basic

Even without showing violent images, the visual and aural exploration of Nadim Mishlawi’s impressive first feature guides us into the darkest corners of Lebanese history but also into its collective unconscious. 

Jasmin Basic

Trailer

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