Plot
Arzé, a single mother, is determined to buy her son a used scooter so he can help her deliver the mouth-watering pies she bakes, her only source of income. To make this happen, she steals and pawns her sister's bracelet–which may or may not have been a good idea. But alas, the scooter is stolen! And when the police are useless–it's Lebanon after all–Arzé takes matters into her own hands and drags her reluctant son all over Beirut in search of the missing scooter. Arzé and her son quickly find themselves embroiled in a long journey full of twists and turns as they navigate the sectarianism and chaos of Beirut. To blend in with each neighborhood they visit, Arzé gets creative and puts on a whole disguise. She's a chameleon, changing her accent, donning a hijab or a Christian cross, and even giving Kinan a new name. She'll do anything to find the scooter. The quest is long and frustrating. As tensions rise and family secrets are revealed, finding the scooter is at stake and so is the unity of Arzé's family.Cast
* Diamand Abou Abboud as Arzé * Betty Taoutel as Layla *Bilal Al Hamwi as Kinan *Shaden Fakih as Dina *Hagop Der Ghougassian as Sevag *Junaid Zeineldine as Noor *Fouad Yammine as Nicolas *Fadi Abi Samra as Joseph *Tarek Tamim as Saadeddine *Development
The film is written and produced by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib. The script, by Faissal Sam Shaib and Louay Khraish, was an Official Finalist in the First Time Screenwriter Competition at the 2018 Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards After being signed on the project, Mira Shaib and Producer Zeina Badran were selected in 2018 to Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency where they developed the project. In 2019, the film was among only six Arabic projects selected to the inaugural Red Sea Lodge, which was in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab. The film, originally titled, ''I Am Arzé'', was among the first recipients of theProduction
Film production was delayed due to the mass protests in Beirut and later theRelease
The film had its world premiere inFestivals
Reception
Arzé received positive reviews after its premiere in Tribeca. Liz Whittemore of ''Reel News Daily'' praised the film, saying it was "a slice of genius" and "a delightful and entirely unexpected film in Tribeca 2024’s lineup, but undeniably one of the best." Whittemore also praised the script by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib, saying it offered "moments of levity amidst the seriousness of Arzé’s plight... an interesting commentary on blame, the dangers of stereotyping, and tribalism." Paul Emmanuel Enicola of ''The Movie Buff'' praised Mira Shaib for "making Arzé a multidimensional character that makes her more relatable, frustrating, endearing, and more human." Nicole Sherine from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, also praised how Shaib directed the film "with an eye toward sensory experiences—imbuing the film with a rise and fall; highs of humor and intimacy juxtaposed with lows of disillusionment and anger."References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 27526845 2024 films 2024 comedy-drama films 2024 directorial debut films 2020s Arabic-language films Arabic-language films Cinema of the Arab world Cinema of Lebanon Films set in Beirut Films set in Lebanon Films shot in Lebanon Films about single parent families Films about mother–son relationships Films about women Films about sisters Lebanese comedy-drama films