EXCLUSIVE: Against the odds, Lebanon has submitted Mira Shaib’s social dramedy Arzé as its candidate for the Best International Feature category at the 97th Academy Awards.
The drama – produced by L.A. and Cairo-based production company Ambient Light – stars Lebanese actress Diamand Abou Abboud (The Insult, Insyriated) as the titular Arzé, a single mother whose home-cooked pizza delivery business is jeopardized when her scooter is stolen.
Determined to retrieve their main source of income, she takes her teenage son on a journey across sectarian Beirut. The drama is billed as both a gripping family tale and a tribute to Beirut, as a “a kaleidoscopic portrait of the city, rich in complexity and resilience”.
Shaib as well as writers/producers Faissal Sam Shaib and Louay Khraish describe the feature – filmed in more than 20 locations across Beirut – as an ode and love letter to the city.
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