Phantom Beirut

Rumours spread across Beirut, at some kind of end to 20 years of conflict, that Khalil (Auoni Kawas) has returned. A ghost, missing presumed dead in conflict ten years back, was thought to have absconded with his troop’s cash box. Now we follow Khalil as he picks over the bones of a city full of contradictions, friends and enemies haunting him anew.

To tell the story of a nation at a crossroads, director Ghassan Salhab (in his feature debut) fittingly called on an array of genres and techniques. Ghost story, noir and war film all blend with documentary, as Salhab interviews the lead actors about their direct experience of the conflict that defined their lives. Poignantly relevant once again, this stunning new 2K restoration is a beguiling portrait of a city where anything can happen but the possibilities are tragically foreclosed.

2K restoration by Préludes in collaboration with Les films de l’Altaï, Micro Climat, and the CNC. Presented by Revenante Films.