A Sad And Beautiful World
A Sad And Beautiful World
Lep in žalosten svet
BACK
In this sweeping romance set in Beirut, two star-crossed lovers face a decision whether or not to build a family and chart a track to happiness, despite the tragic fates ravaging contemporary Lebanon.

Nino and Yasmina have been meant for each other since childhood. Born on the same day, they grow up side by side. Yasmina's parents get a divorce, and Nino loses both of his. They dream of an escape that would save them from their reality in Beirut. Their plan fails miserably when she moves away with her mother. Twenty-four years later, destiny conspires to reunite them once more. Enchanted by Nino's boundless optimism, Yasmina abandons her emigration plans. When she becomes pregnant, their bond is tested. Though Nino yearns for a child, Yasmina's childhood trauma makes her wary.

"In Lebanon, every generation has their own trauma associated with the country and the region. And at some point, it really makes you wonder if there's really any hopeful future for future generations. At the same time, it's a place we're all very deeply attached to, and we are very much in love with. And I think this is often reflected in our cinema, and the movies we make, and the kind of questions that we ask ourselves in our films." (Cyril Aris)


Talk after Screening
23 Nov at 18:45, Kinodvor, guest: Hasan Akil (actor), moderator: Damijan Vinter
Section: PERSPECTIVES
Directed by: Cyril Aris
Country, year: Lebanon, Germany, Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia, 2025
Length: 110 minutes
Subtitles: English,Slovenian
Language: Arabic

Screening in cinema:

Fri, 14.11.2025 17:00 Kino Bežigrad
Mon, 17.11.2025 21:15 Linhart Hall
Sun, 23.11.2025 18:45 Kinodvor Cinema

VOD service:

Notice
Please note that this film is not available as VOD service.
Screenplay:
Cyril Aris, Bane Fakih
Cinematography:
Joe Saade
Cast:
Mounia Akl (Yasmina), Hasan Akil (Nino), Julia Kassar (Oumaya), Camille Salameh (Antoine), Tino Karam (Chafic), Nadyn Chalhoub (Leila), Valentina Hachem (Amal)
Producent:
Abbout Productions & Diversity Hire & Reynard Films
contact@abboutproductions.com
Sales:
Paradise City Sales
sales@paradisecity-films.com
Share link
About director
Born in 1987 in Beirut, Lebanon. He holds an MFA from New York's Columbia University. His debut feature documentary, The Swing (2018), premiered at the Karlovy Vary IFF, and gained international visibility. An acclaimed Lebanese director, editor and screenwriter, Aris is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Filmography
2018 The Swing (dok./doc.)
2023 Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano (dok./doc.)
2025 A Sad and Beautiful World (Lep in žalosten svet)