Shapes of Normal Human Beings

Three friends take an 8-day road journey to make sense of Lebanon at this moment in time. Each detour in their journey makes for a spectacular experience of co-narration and listening in the face of uncertainty. 

“Mother, where do we go from here? I need your guidance.” A musician asks.

Three friends Salim, Jihad and Rhea take an 8-day road journey, trying to make sense of Lebanon at this moment in time. They open closed doors to connect with people in their living rooms, kitchens and gardens. But even in the most private spaces, violence lurks in the corners.

What is the big ‘meltdown’ everyone is bracing for? And where do you begin to speak of suppressed revolutionary demands; an unending economic crisis; the Beirut port explosion; ongoing Israeli attacks? This heartwarming documentary from Salim Mrad (Agate Mousse, 2021), becomes a spectacular experience of narration and listening shared among three friends in the face of uncertainty. Each stop in the journey marks a chapter in the story, each scene inspires the direction of what follows. The camera, always self-aware, negotiates its presence and role as a witness, occasionally drifting to rotate through 360°, blurring the lines between observer and observant. Critical of the documentary impulse, Mrad asks: could this be another NGO film?

While the nation state crumbles around the characters and filmmakers, alternative structures of care emerge: nature, love, humour, mothers, ancestral knowledge, dreams, faith.

– Reman Sadani

Trailer

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