by Mark Deming
synopsis
An intelligent thriller of deception, loyalty and betrayal, Beyrouth Fantome tells of a conflict among old friends set against the backdrop of the Lebanese civil war. Ten years after Khalil (Aouni Kawas) was believed to have died in a skirmish in Beirut, several of his friends spot him at an airport, older and emotionally blank but still among the living. Enraged, the men confront Khalil and are determined to find out the truth about his disappearance and why he abandoned the struggle while they stayed in Beirut to fight. First-time director Ghassan Salhab intercuts video footage of his actors discussing the film into the narrative, giving a personal viewpoint of how the war in Lebanon affected its people.
