In the Shadow of Beirut

This beautiful documentary tells about the residents of the Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods in Beirut, seen through the eyes of four families. The film is an important voice for the population in the city's poorest areas.

An undocumented mother cannot afford to send her sick daughter to a hospital. An eight-year-old Syrian refugee works long days to support his mother and siblings. One father considers if his thirteen-year-old daughter would be better off married, while another is attempting to kick both criminal and drug habits to raise his young son better. These four and their families make up the heart of In the Shadow of Beirut.

Observing rather than judging, the documentary brings the viewer to Sabra and Shatila, two of the poorest parts of Beirut, to meet people on their premises. The result is a film that is as intimate as it is devastating.

«In the Shadow of Beirut is painful in every sense of the word. But it’s a required viewing that has the potential to evolve into a rallying cry for anyone with the power to act and aid the situation — which should be all of us.»
– Matthew Roe, Film Threat –

Jenny Lund

Panel: «Childhood on Hold»

After the screening of IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT on Sunday, April 14th, in Screen 2 at Vika Kino, there will be a panel on children's upbringing in the Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods in Beirut. The conversation is in collaboration with Save the Children, Norway.

Read more about the event here.

Director

Stephen Gerard Kelly is an Irish director and cinematographer. In the Shadow of Beirut is his debut feature, which he spent five years on-location filming. Garry Keane is an Irish director and cinematographer who has spent many years creating TV documentaries for British and American broadcasters. He co-directed the acclaimed documentary feature GAZA (2019).

This film is part of