Leave it to the movie studios to make the most of bad situations. At least on film. In 1980, Beirut-based About Productions is working on a film called Costa Brava, Lebanon pre-production of the film) at the time a devastating explosion occurred in the port of Beirut, destroying much of the area and shaking the city. Cyril Aris’ documentary, which had its world premiere in Karlovy Vary, documents the production team’s unwavering efforts to move forward with the film despite obstacles. Not only do they have to deal with catastrophic damage to homes and offices, but also pandemics, fuel shortages and currency crashes. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano captivatingly tells the story of using fire to make a movie.
Beirut is of course a place that has suffered so much, as the city is in ruins in the opening shot of illustrated this during the Lebanese Civil War. It was rocked again by 27 disaster and the result was 2, Tons of ammonium nitrate were stored wantonly in warehouses.
Dancing on the edge of a volcano
Bottom line Hot movie making.
“It’s been the soundtrack for the last two weeks,” says cinematographer Joe Saade, referring to the sound of glass shattering on a balcony as he tries to water the plants . “On the bright side, I have a breeze!” he joked. On the darker side, he lost the sight in one eye, which he admits is ironic for the film’s director.
The company’s offices were heavily damaged, but fortunately not looted. “Thank goodness no one cares about movies.” Someone coldly pointed to the undisturbed film canisters in the venue.
During a production meeting, the desperation of company members was felt when a woman exclaimed: “Why the hell are we still in this country? I can’t take it!” In another moment, one of the film’s child actors tenderly comforts a crying staff member whose friend was killed in the blast.
Costa Brava, Lebanon , directed by Mounia Akl, about a family leaving Beirut, The story of taking refuge in a makeshift shelter on the hill, only to soon learn of government plans to build a landfill next door. The film’s themes of government corruption and looting are made all the more resonant by the catastrophic explosion that threatens the filming.
Despite the formidable obstacles, the filmmakers haven’t lost their minds. humor. “I feel like I’m in lost in La Mancha ,” one joked, referring to the story of Terry Gilliam’s “ ” is a documentary about the hard work that went into making it into a film. Don Quixote . “But my husband says I’m in the apocalypsenow.”
Due to restrictions, the film’s lead actor, Saleh Bakri, had to make a detour from his native Palestine to Lebanon. He filmed various stages of his journey, denouncing “Zionist” orders of repression. When he finally arrived in Beirut, production was delayed again because the twin actresses who played his daughter tested positive. Then, a heavy rain flooded the set.
Even the film’s post-production was hampered by a series of major problems, including fuel shortages that led to prolonged government power outages
“Beirut The appeal of the movie is its chaos,” commented one of the filmmakers. “It’s famous for it.”
Fortunately, dancing on the edge of the volcano (The title comes from a phrase originally used to describe Weimar – Times Germany) has a happy ending. We see the cast and crew celebrating the premiere of “ Lebanon’s Costa Brava ” at the Venice Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim. It appears that both films will appear as dual feature films in repertory theaters in the future.
Full credits
Venue: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Crystal Globe Competition) Production company: Reynard Films, About Productions Director and screenwriter: Cyril Aris 1980 Producers: Myriam Sassine, Katharina Weser Director of Photography: Joe Saade
1980 Editors: Nada Ren Rachid, Cyril Aris 1980 1980 Music: Anthony Shayoon 1980700 1 hour27 minutes
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