A Perfect Day

  • 88'
  • Lebanon
  • 2005
A Perfect Day is a study of the personal and psychological consequences of a civil war, taking the form of a dreamlike journey through a fascinating city filled with scars. With the artistic visual styles so characteristic of these film makers, Joreige and Hadjithomas manage to perfectly capture the contradictions of Beirut; the potential of young people and the emotionally charged past go hand in hand. This story about lethargy and delayed mourning unfolds over 24 hours - in the words of the makers, 'on the day before everything will change, the day on which the decision will be taken to change everything.' Fifteen years after he disappeared, and long after some kind of peace has been achieved in Beirut, Claudia still hopes her husband will return. Together with her 26-year-old son Malek, she has made a half-hearted decision to have him officially declared dead as one of the hundred thousand victims of the war. Yet his clothes are still hanging where they always hung and every shadow in the large, dark house seems to wait for his return. In the absence of her husband's love, Claudia's need for attention from her son is even greater. Malek is plagued by narcoleptic attacks and, partly as a result, life seems to past him by. In addition, he does not know how to cope with his frustration about the end of his relationship with his girlfriend, Zaina. He calls her at irregular intervals and spies on her all over town. (GT)
Directors
Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige
Countries of production
Lebanon, France, Germany
Year
2005
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
88'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Naoussé
Language
Arabic
Producers
Mille et Une Productions, Twenty Twenty Vision, Abbout Productions, Edouard Mauriat
Sales
Celluloid Dreams
Screenplay
Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige
Cinematography
Jeanne Lapoirie
Editor
Tina Baz-Le Gal
Production Design
Sophie Khayat
Sound Design
Guillaume Le Braz, Sylvain Malbrant, Olivier Goinard
Music
Scrambled Eggs, Soap Kills
Cast
Ziad Saad, Julia Kassar
Website
http://celluloid-dreams.com/celluloid_dreams_library/m_r/perfect_day
Directors
Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige
Countries of production
Lebanon, France, Germany
Year
2005
Festival Edition
IFFR 2006
Length
88'
Medium
35mm
Original title
Naoussé
Language
Arabic
Producers
Mille et Une Productions, Twenty Twenty Vision, Abbout Productions, Edouard Mauriat
Sales
Celluloid Dreams
Screenplay
Joana Hadjithomas, Khalil Joreige
Cinematography
Jeanne Lapoirie
Editor
Tina Baz-Le Gal
Production Design
Sophie Khayat
Sound Design
Guillaume Le Braz, Sylvain Malbrant, Olivier Goinard
Music
Scrambled Eggs, Soap Kills
Cast
Ziad Saad, Julia Kassar
Website
http://celluloid-dreams.com/celluloid_dreams_library/m_r/perfect_day