New Lebanese film, At directors fortnight screening in Cannes where it got a 30 minute standing ovation.
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Original Arabic title is RABIH, the name of the central protagonist,played by a non-professional actor, Barakat Jabbour, who is actually blind. Rabih, a young blind man, lives in a small village in Lebanon. He sings in a choir and edits Braille documents for an income. His life unravels when he tries to apply for a passport and discovers that his identification card, which he has carried his entire life, is a forgery. He then sets out to find his unknown biological father in another part of the country against daunting obstacles. The family he tracks down would rather not know... Director Vatche Boulghourjian knows how to tell a story with the sparest of means and is clearly a new Middle Eastern talent to keep an eye on. He is, incidentally, of Armenian background. The original Lebanese music we hear and see played all through the film is exceptional and a refreshing change from the usual descriptive music heard in most western films.
Original Arabic title is RABIH, the name of the central protagonist,played by a non-professional actor, Barakat Jabbour, who is actually blind. Rabih, a young blind man, lives in a small village in Lebanon. He sings in a choir and edits Braille documents for an income. His life unravels when he tries to apply for a passport and discovers that his identification card, which he has carried his entire life, is a forgery. He then sets out to find his unknown biological father in another part of the country against daunting obstacles. The family he tracks down would rather not know... Director Vatche Boulghourjian knows how to tell a story with the sparest of means and is clearly a new Middle Eastern talent to keep an eye on. He is, incidentally, of Armenian background. The original Lebanese music we hear and see played all through the film is exceptional and a refreshing change from the usual descriptive music heard in most western films.