The War of Others

The phantom of the civil war has always loomed over the Lebanese community. Even the young generation that has never lived the war is somehow impacted by its aftermath. Even though I had always been certain that the idea to make The War Of Others has been present within me (at least unconsciously), I remember one particular moment that might have triggered it. One summer night, I was spending time in a village in the mountains in Lebanon, surrounded by my friends and family. And at some point, the adults started to talk about the civil war. I remember being drawn to the conversation, but not because of the actual stories that were told (I understood half of them anyways), but because of the fervour in which they were told. The truth didn’t matter. Everyone wanted to be right. Everyone wanted the other to lose. That was fascinating. This conflict of the past could still affect the current lives of the generation who lived it. Ever since this night, a desire has been growing within me. A desire to learn more about this war and to see how far it could alter human behavior.

The first challenge was to tell a story about the Lebanon's civil war as universally as possible. As an outsider to the conflict, I had the perfect position. At its core, the story wasn’t about the war. The conflict was merely a pretext to tell a story of vengeance and forgiveness. The real goal of the movie was to see to what extent a character could outgrow the past. This relatable notion was the foundation of The War Of Others.

With that idea in mind came the need to tell the two sides of the revenge story. In a way, Jo and Sam represent two sides of the same coin. The only difference between the two characters resides in their age. Jo lived the conflict as an adult. Therefore, he could never escape its relentless grasp on him. On the other hand, Sam lived it when he was still a child. After that, he moved to France and had time to adapt to another reality. Even if this war still affects him, it hasn’t turned him into a monster. As a result, these two characters choose to deal with this war in opposite ways. In one, Sam finds the courage to forgive, outgrow his past and evolve. In the other, Jo returns to his initial state of violent impulses and fulfills his destiny.

The question of the point of view became an essential part of the filmmaking process. In the barbershop, the camera movements were highly influenced by the shaky and visceral style of Alfonso Cuaron in Children of Men. In contrast, I thought it would be interesting to associate static and clean visuals in the bar, like Steve McQueen did in Hunger. This contrast in movement would allow me to express the multiple ways in which each characters deals with his past. These two ways would lead each one of them to their last choice. The light and the colors would serve as a way to make the audience feel the burning sun of Lebanon. Since the story happens in the morning, I wanted to warm up the colors of the sunrise in France and make it look like a sunny morning in Lebanon. The sun would cast yellow and desaturated rays that would invade the highlights, while the dark tones of the image would be dominated by a dark and de-saturated green. These two colors would take my characters back to a war torn Lebanon and communicate in a psychological way the dark and tragic tone of the movie.

One of the main challenges of the production was to find the actor who was going to portray Malek. He had to speak a perfect Arabic and embody one the facets of the Lebanese culture. After a lot of castings, the best actor I found (both physically and in terms of talent), was Farouk Benalleg. Although he was born in Algeria, he lived his whole life in France. When I met him at the audition, he didn’t speak a word of Arabic. However, his acting was incredible. He immediately understood the personality of Malek, his motivations, and his flaws, and was able to portray him with honesty. Since it was a student film and I didn’t pay anyone, I was uncertain whether or not I could trust the devotion of this actor and teach him the language. Eventually, he convinced me, and I've never regretted it. For four months, we rehearsed together so that he would become this Lebanese warlord. With a complete devotion to the role and a hunger to satisfy the vision of the movie, the work with Farouk proved to be one of the most exciting learning experiences I had the chance to live.

Ultimately, this movie is about memory and the ways it can alter the outcome of a story. In a sense, that issue is deeply embedded in the Lebanese culture because to this day, Lebanon hasn't written its official History. In a country where there are as many accents as there are versions of the truth, the question of the point of view becomes an essential part of the storytelling process. Therefore, I hope that this film will appeal to all kinds of Lebanese audiences, from the generation who lived the war, to the younger ones who have only lived it through different stories. On an international scale, I hope that this theme, combined with the relatable story of vengeance will attract and arouse the curiosity of a very large audience. By tackling a sensible issue with an accessible style, I hope that The War Of Others can have both a deep emotional and intellectual impact on its viewers, and can create an urge to learn more about this mysterious and complicated conflict.