ARABIAN SIGHTS JURY AWARD

Heaven Without People

Ghada El Eid

LUCIEN BOURJEILY
Lebanon, 2017,
91 minutes, Color
Official website

In person: Director Lucien Bourjeily

Lebanese director and Fulbright grant recipient Lucien Bourjeily takes us on a journey of family secrets and the rift they can cause with this award-winning film. Josephine, the matriarch of a sprawling family, is delighted to gather everyone together for Easter lunch for the first time in years. The festive meal survives tensions bubbling just under the surface. However, bit-by-bit the facade of the happy family gathering begins to fall away after an unexpected event changes their joyful mood and lives. A renowned theatre director and social activist in Lebanon, Bourjeily’s feature debut builds on his desire to dig into taboo topics to forge space for discourse—even if that comes at great cost. —Various sources

In Arabic with English subtitles

Friday's screening will be followed by a reception

Co-presented with the Fulbright Program and AMIDEAST