"Lebanon" tells a true story. On the day of the Lebanese War in June 1982, four Israeli soldiers with no combat experience were asked to enter Lebanese civilian villages to eliminate terrorists who appeared to be the Palestine Liberation Organization. However, as the soldiers entered the village, the seemingly simple task immediately became complicated and cruel, and eventually turned into a slaughter nightmare.
As a fan of film technology, we have reason to believe that what impressed him in "Lebanon" is not only the true exposure of the battlefield and the reflection on the war in the film, but also the unique production and image expression of this film. It is worth mentioning that 7 years later, Ang Lee also made an anti-war film "Billy Lynn's Midfield War" that pursued a battlefield viewing experience in film technology.
The entire filming of "Lebanon" was completed in a closed space, that is, shooting from inside the tank and out of the scope of the gun, looking at the Lebanese war from the eyes of Israeli soldiers. Such a bold shooting setting not only makes the audience feel the fear of being in the confined space of a tank, but also brings the audience a sense of reality of being on the battlefield. The audience was driven to follow the actor's gaze and saw the naked battlefield environment. In the film, the sight has repeatedly stopped on war-destroyed villages, helpless civilians, and even passing cows, allowing everyone to enter the soldier's visual world and inner world involuntarily, and feel the fear of young soldiers and the ruthlessness of war. This simple and unique image narrative and close restoration of the battlefield give people a thrilling viewing experience, which is thought-provoking.
The 57-year-old Samuel Maoz has made two films so far: "Lebanon" and "Foxtrot". Both films were shortlisted in the main competition unit of the Venice Film Festival. "Lebanon" even won the Golden Lion. Award of honor. Although the output is not high, no one can bring persuasive anti-war philosophies to the audience better than Maoz. Maoz participated in the Lebanon War in 1982 as a tank gunner at the age of 20. In 2007, he began to write scripts and film movies. "Lebanon" was developed from the perspective of him as a tank gunner. He was tortured by the trauma of the war, and it was not until 20 years later that he finally mustered up the courage to bring this experience to the screen. Maoz said that he wanted to combine his own war trauma and the horrible memories of his first murder on the battlefield to show the endless post-war trauma in Israeli society.
Ang Lee mentioned in an interview with the media at the 66th Venice Film Festival: "Lebanon is an award winner determined by the jury without dispute. This is a film made by a man who suppressed it for 27 years. People who have experienced that period of purgatory can’t make such a movie. We from different places are thankful that we didn’t need to be in that tank at the time, but in other corners of the world, there will be another one loaded with panic. And the tank of guilt. I am grateful to the director for bringing this movie "Lebanon" is a great war movie."
Screening time: 6:00pm, November 3
Screening location: French Institute Alliance Francaise, New York
Projection format: 35mm film
The director will participate in a post-screening interview
Ticket purchase link:
https://www.showclix.com/event/ccff-lebanon
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