‘In The Shadow Of Beirut’ Exclusive Trailer: Awards Season Doc Shines A Light On The Harsh Living Conditions In One Community

It’s nearly impossible to go on social media today and not see videos and pictures of war-torn Gaza. The massive amounts of bombings over the past couple of months in Gaza has chilled people to the bone. But that’s not the only place in the Middle East where violence has caused catastrophic loss of life and seemingly insurmountable poverty. And that is what is showcased in the new documentary, “In the Shadow of Beirut.”

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As it’s awards season time, we’re thrilled to give our readers the chance to see an exclusive trailer for the critically acclaimed doc, “In the Shadow of Beirut.” The film follows the stories of several people living in Sabra, one of Beirut’s harshest slums, where violence and tragedy are sadly just a way of life. From a mother trying to take care of her sick child to a dad trying to fight the horrors of addiction to many more stories, ‘Shadow of Beirut’ shows just how devastating violence and poverty can have on a community. The film is directed by Stephen Gerard Kelly and Garry Keane. 

“In the Shadow of Beirut” is currently qualified for both the Best Documentary and Best International Feature Oscars, as it’s the official selection of Ireland. You can see the trailer below.

Here’s the synopsis:

In Sabra, one of Beirut’s toughest urban slums, sectarianism and violence is a permanent way of life. Rabia, a 38-year-old hardworking but undocumented Lebanese mother, cannot afford to admit her chronically ill daughter to hospital, leaving the life of her innocent child hanging in the balance. Father of five, Ayman is preparing the way for his daughter Sanaa’s engagement to a local man as his way of protecting her in the neighborhood as he labors to provide the most basic essentials for his family to survive. Young father Aboodi is struggling to kick his drug habit, which has brought him to prison before, as he battles to find a new path in life that will make him a better parent to his toddler son. In nearby Shatila, Abu Ahmad, an 8-year-old, angelic-looking but mischievous Syrian boy who fled ISIS, labors hard to feed his family while forging an unlikely friendship with a civil war veteran and fruit stall owner. In the Shadow of Beirut weaves these four compelling storylines together in a searing portrait of a people and a city struggling to survive amidst some of the most difficult living conditions imaginable. In this failing state, it is the vulnerable who suffer the most.