The President's Visit

Greetings again from the darkness. I don't often look to Lebanon for comedy films, however, director Cyril Aris co-wrote this script with Mounia Akyl, and it's not only good for some laughs, it also carries quite a message in its brief 19 minute run time.

A small rural fishing town in Lebanon is the setting. Nino, a grown man, lives with his mother and runs a soap shop in town. He gets very little respect from the local fishermen, who often try to take advantage of his meek manner. Faoud Yammine plays Nino, who also is attracted to a local beauty played by (co-writer) Mounia Akyl. Nino fumbles his way through their interactions the way a teenage boy might.

One day Nino gets a phone call at the shop. The country's new President is on a mission to "clean up" the government - rid it of corruption and greed. What better marketing campaign than stocking up on soap from a local businessman, and Nino has been chosen.

The gag here is that Nino is supposed to keep the visit a secret. Of course once he tells his uncle, the gossip tree lights up and human nature takes over. Hilarity and self-interest ensues. The film makes a statement about our attraction to power and willingness to do whatever necessary to make ourselves look important to those we deem as powerful. So Mr. Aris film is simultaneously funny and a bit sad.

I thought this film was really good on so many levels that I cannot understand the current rating of about 5 on IMDB. Maybe there are political reasons that people don't like it which I don't understand. But the story was good, the casting, the art direction, the cinematography and the atmosphere and the locations. It also made me wish to visit Lebanon.

The bitter - sweet moral is the basic virtue of this film reminding a version of Abu Hassan fairy tale. A Mediteranean story, because it can be Italian, Greek or ...Lebanese. In same measure, it can be a Balkan story. And this is the second good point - you can feel it, out of words, humor. Its tension, the desire to become star for a day, a secret with any chance to be secret, the other as tool of your succes or happiness, an imposible love story and the beautiful performance of Faoud Yammime. For me, the scene of mother looking to street remains the most precious. So, a film about people, in their naked behavior.