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Arzé

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Arzé
Arzé Film Poster
Film poster featuring Diamand Abou Abboud
Directed byMira Shaib
Written by
Produced by
CinematographyHeyjin Jun
Edited byHisham Saqr
Music byHany Adel
Release date
Running time
93 minutes
CountryLebanon

Arzé (Arabic: أرزة) is a 2024 Lebanese comedy-drama directed by Mira Shaib in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Diamand Abou Abboud, Betty Taoutel, and Bilal Al Hamwi. The film was Lebanon's submission to the 97th Academy Award, but was not nominated.[1]

Plot

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Arzé, a single mother, is determined to buy her son a used scooter so he can help her deliver the mouth-watering pies she bakes, her only source of income. To make this happen, she steals and pawns her sister's bracelet–which may or may not have been a good idea.

But alas, the scooter is stolen! And when the police are useless–it's Lebanon after all–Arzé takes matters into her own hands and drags her reluctant son all over Beirut in search of the missing scooter.

Arzé and her son quickly find themselves embroiled in a long journey full of twists and turns as they navigate the sectarianism and chaos of Beirut. To blend in with each neighborhood they visit, Arzé gets creative and puts on a whole disguise. She's a chameleon, changing her accent, donning a hijab or a Christian cross, and even giving Kinan a new name. She'll do anything to find the scooter.

The quest is long and frustrating. As tensions rise and family secrets are revealed, finding the scooter is at stake and so is the unity of Arzé's family.

Cast

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  • Diamand Abou Abboud as Arzé
  • Betty Taoutel as Layla
  • Bilal Al Hamwi as Kinan
  • Shaden Fakih as Dina
  • Hagop Der Ghougassian as Sevag
  • Junaid Zeineldine as Noor
  • Fouad Yammine as Nicolas
  • Fadi Abi Samra as Joseph
  • Tarek Tamim as Saadeddine
  • Elie Mitri as Junkyard Owner
  • Joyce Nasrallah as Odette
  • Saad Kadri as Ahmad
  • Ibrahim Ajami as Ali
  • Mounir Challita as Mandoor
  • Kathy Youness as Yasmine

Development

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The film is written and produced by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib.[2] The script, by Faissal Sam Shaib and Louay Khraish, was an Official Finalist in the First Time Screenwriter Competition at the 2018 Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards[3]

After being signed on the project, Mira Shaib and Producer Zeina Badran were selected in 2018 to Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency where they developed the project.[4] In 2019, the film was among only six Arabic projects selected to the inaugural Red Sea Lodge,[5][6][7] which was in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab.[8][9] The film, originally titled, I Am Arzé, was among the first recipients of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation Production Fund.[10][11]

Production

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Film production was delayed due to the mass protests in Beirut and later the pandemic, but shooting eventually took place at the end of 2022, albeit during the worst financial crisis Lebanon had witnessed.[12]

Release

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Mira Shaib, Louay Khraish, Zeina Badran and Faissal Sam Shaib at the Tribeca premiere of Arzé, June 2024

The film had its world premiere in Beijing and its North American premiere in Tribeca.[13] The Tribeca screenings were hosted by the nonprofit film organization, The Future of Film is Female.

Arzé was initially selected to premiere in the Official Competition of the 45th Cairo International Film Festival, but the festival was canceled due to the Israel-Hamas War.[14] The film was selected again the following year to compete in the Horizons of Arab Cinema where Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib won the Youssef Sherif Rezkallah Award for Best Screenplay and Diamand Abou Abboud the Best Actress Award,[15] a day after she won the Snow Leopard Best Actor Award at the Asian World Film festival.[16]

Festivals

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Festival Date of ceremony Section Award Result Notes Ref(s)
Cairo International Film Festival Wed, Nov 13, 2024 – Fri, Nov 22, 2024 In Competition Horizons of Arab Cinema Won - Best Actress & Best Script Arab & African Premiere [17]
Asian World Film Festival November 13-21, 2024 In Competition Main Competition - Snow Leopard Won - Best Actress Culver City [18]
Arab Film Festival October 24-November 5, 2024 In Competition Main Competition Won - Best Debut Feature Bay Area Premiere [19]
Newport Beach Film Festival October 17-24, 2024 In Competition Narrative Drama Series Nominated West Coast Premiere [20]
Lebanese Film Festival Australia August 15 to 31, 2024 Film of the Year Opening Night Nominated Australia Premiere [21]
Tribeca Festival June 5-16, 2024 In Competition Viewpoints Nominated North American Premiere [22]
Beijing International Film Festival April 18–26, 2024 In Competition Future Forward Nominated World Premiere [23]
Cairo International Film Festival November 15-24, 2023 In Competition Golden Pyramid Nominated Official selection at CIFF but festival was postponed.[24] [25]

Reception

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Arzé received positive reviews after its premiere in Tribeca. Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily praised the film, saying it was "a slice of genius" and "a delightful and entirely unexpected film in Tribeca 2024’s lineup, but undeniably one of the best."[26] Whittemore also praised the script by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib, saying it offered "moments of levity amidst the seriousness of Arzé’s plight... an interesting commentary on blame, the dangers of stereotyping, and tribalism."[26] Paul Emmanuel Enicola of The Movie Buff praised Mira Shaib for "making Arzé a multidimensional character that makes her more relatable, frustrating, endearing, and more human."[27] Nicole Sherine from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, also praised how Shaib directed the film "with an eye toward sensory experiences—imbuing the film with a rise and fall; highs of humor and intimacy juxtaposed with lows of disillusionment and anger."[28]

References

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  1. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (25 October 2024). "Oscars: Lebanon Selects Mira Shaib's Beirut-Set 'Arzé' For Best International Feature Film". Deadline. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Egyptian-Lebanese Film 'Arze' to Participate in Tribeca Festival". Egypt Today. 20 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  3. ^ "2018 AMSTERDAM FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARDS". FilmFestivals.com. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Film Independent's Global Media Makers Program Expands to Include South Asian Talent". Hollywood Reporter. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  5. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (1 October 2019). "Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Festival Announces Projects in Development". Variety. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  6. ^ Nasr, Nahedd (4 October 2022). "Parting the Sea". Al Ahram English. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ Melanie, Goodfellow (1 October 2019). "Saudi's Red Sea International Film Festival unveils debut lab selection". Screen Daily. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Hind Alfahhad's 'Sharshaf' wins $500,000 film production grant". Saudi Gazet. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Saudi, Arab winners of $500k film production grants revealed". Arab News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  10. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (6 September 2021). "Red Sea International Film Festival unveils first recipients of $14m fund". Screen Daily. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  11. ^ Vivarelli, Nick. "Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival Reveals Grants For Upcoming Arab Films, Including Toronto-Bound 'Farha'". No. 6 Septembere 2021. Variety. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  12. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (17 April 2024). "'Arzé' Trailer: Beirut Drama About Single Mother's Quest To Retrieve Scooter Headed To Tribeca". Deadline. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  13. ^ Bergesen, Samantha (17 April 2024). "Tribeca Film Festival 2024 Line Up". Indie Wire. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  14. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (18 October 2023). "Cairo Film Festival Canceled Due to Israel-Hamas War". Variety. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  15. ^ Rosser, Michael (22 November 2024). "Romanian tragicomedy 'The New Year That Never Came' scoops best film at Cairo film festival". Screen Daily. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  16. ^ Horst, Carol (22 November 2024). "Asian World Film Festival Names Winners With Malaysia's 'Abang Adik' Taking Best Picture". Screen Daily. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  17. ^ Rosser, Michael (22 November 2024). "Romanian tragicomedy 'The New Year That Never Came' scoops best film at Cairo film festival". Screen Daily. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  18. ^ Horst, Carol (22 November 2024). "Asian World Film Festival Names Winners With Malaysia's 'Abang Adik' Taking Best Picture". Screen Daily. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  19. ^ Grady, Pam (24 October 2024). "San Francisco's Arab Film Festival is back after a year of hiatus". San Francisco Chronicler. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  20. ^ Feinberg, Scott (17 September 2024). "Newport Beach Film Fest: Peter Sarsgaard Set for Performer of the Year Honor and Live 'Awards Chatter' Pod, Lineup Announced (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Lebanese Film Festival Australia Returns for Its Twelfth Year, Showcasing Resilience Amid Regional Challenges". Hollywood Reporter. 17 September 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  22. ^ Dunn, Jack (17 April 2024). "Tribeca Festival Reveals 2024 Feature Film Lineup Including New Movies With Lily Gladstone, Jenna Ortega and Michael Cera". Variety. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  23. ^ ""Arzé" by Mira Shaib and" Back To Alexandria" by Tamer Ruggli compete at the Beijing International Film Festival". 1 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  24. ^ ""أرزة" فيلم لبناني جديد من بطولة دياموند أبو عبود وبيتي توتل" [Arzé, A New Lebanese Film] (in Arabic). 19 August 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. ^ "45 CIFF Announces Lineup of Feature Films". 4 October 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  26. ^ a b Whittemore, Liz (17 June 2024). "'Arzé' (Tribeca 2024) is a slice of genius". Reel News Daily. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  27. ^ Enicola, Paul Emmanuel (17 June 2024). "'Arzé' Tribeca Review: A Tribute to Well-Intentioned but Imperfect Parenting". The Movie Buff. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  28. ^ Nicole, Sherine (12 June 2024). "Arzé Review (Tribeca 2024)". Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
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