Under the Bombs / Sous les Bombes
A mother searches for her missing son in the ashes of the July 2006 war.
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About the Film
July 2006: war breaks out in Lebanon. After 33 days of relentless bombardment, Zeina arrives at the port of Beirut on the day the ceasefire takes hold, desperate with anguish. Tony, a rough-edged taxi driver, is the only one willing to drive her south in search of her missing son. Conceived and shot on location in the real aftermath of the summer 2006 war, with a cast of just four actors, the film was completed in under a year.
Made In The Immediate Aftermath
Shot in the real, still-smoking landscape of the 2006 war rather than a reconstruction of it, the film went on to a theatrical release in fifteen-plus countries (France, 2008) and represented Lebanon at the Oscars.
Awards & Recognition
- EEIUC Human Rights Film Award, Venice Film Festival 2007
- Arca Cinema Giovanni Prize, Venice Film Festival 2007
- Junior Jury Prize, Namur Francophone Film Festival 2007
- Golden Pony Award (Best Film), Dubai International Film Festival 2007
- Best Actress, Dubai International Film Festival 2007
- Best Original Score, Audience Award & Jury Coup de Coeur, Festival de Luchon 2008
- Amnesty International Prize, Opendoek Festival (Turnhout) 2008
- NETPAC Award and Critics' Award, 44th Antalya Golden Orange Festival 2007
- Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival 2008
- Audience Award, Montreal Human Rights Film Festival 2008
- Human Rights Prize, Bahrain Film Festival 2008
- Best Actress, Oran Arab Film Festival 2008
- Best Actor & Silver Medal for Best Film, Rotterdam Arab Film Festival 2008
- Special Mention, Jerusalem Film Festival 2008
- Best International Feature, Festival international du cinema francophone en Acadie (Canada)
- Best Actress Special Mention & FIPRESCI Prize, Bratislava International Film Festival
- Represented Lebanon at the Academy Awards
Film Crew & Director
Main Cast
- Featuring
- Georges Khabbaz, Nada Abou Farhat
Philippe Aractingi
Director
Philippe Aractingi is a Lebanese writer-director whose work has repeatedly represented Lebanon at the Oscars and moved between musical, drama and documentary form to confront the country's war, memory and identity. TODO: expand with full biography / filmography once supplied by Fantascope.
Screening Requests
Under The Bombs / Sous les Bombes is available for screenings, community events, and licensing. Whether you're a curator, educator, or festival programmer—we'd love to help you share it.
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