Film guide 2017
The Insult
A dispute between two men in Beirut exposes the weight of memory and public prejudice.
- Original title
- L'Insulte
- Director
- Ziad Doueiri
- Year
- 2017
Editorial profile. Availability on LAREINE TV has not been confirmed.
Story, without spoilers
An exchange of insults between Tony, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, escalates into a court case. As lawyers and media enter the conflict, a personal disagreement draws in wider divisions. Each man's demand for justice becomes entangled with wounds beyond the immediate incident.
Context & recognition
Ziad Doueiri and co-writer Joëlle Touma link a contemporary confrontation to Lebanon's past. In his Venice director's statement, Doueiri describes the protagonists' pursuit of justice as inseparable from their need for dignity.
Main characters & cast
Tony
Adel Karam
A Lebanese Christian drawn into the legal dispute.
Yasser
Kamel El Basha
A Palestinian refugee whose quarrel with Tony reaches court.