Lettre de Beyrouth (1979): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1979, Lettre de Beyrouth is a drama and dokumentarfilm film directed by Jocelyne Saab, running about 50 minutes.

What it’s about. Letter from Beirut documents the filmmaker's return to Beirut during one of the lulls, three years after the outbreak of the civil war, animated by the urge to return. She is confronted by the physical, emotional and psychological ravages of the war, terrified and sorrowful, she cannot find her place in the city. In that quest, she communicates with everyday people, friends, neighbors, people riding the bus across the city's eastern and western flanks. To pace her journeying and dramatic unraveling of the film, Saab borrows the guise of a letter read in a voice-over, written by world-renowned poet Etel Adnan. A rare document from the civil war, Letter from Beirut lays bare and spontaneously how people make sense of their everyday in the midst of chaos, violence, terror and sorrow.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, Lettre de Beyrouth has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Lettre de Beyrouth page.

If you liked it. Fans of Lettre de Beyrouth tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, Der Pate, Schindlers Liste and Der Pate - Teil II.