In the Battlefields

Danielle Arbid’s keenly observed coming-of-age story unfolds in war-torn 1980s Beirut. Between air raids and domestic squabbles, Lina (Marianne Feghali), distancing herself from her dysfunctional relatives, looks to her aunt’s teenage maid for attention, becoming her comrade and confidant. But as Lina’s family implodes, class tension, jealousy, and insecurity threaten the vulnerable friendship. “Arbid may not stress the politics of the civil war in Lebanon, but its emotional toll is clearly felt, not only in the cruel choices the film’s characters make but also in the shots of devastated buildings outside the Beirut apartment” (Ed Gonzales, Slant).