Synopsis

The Lebanese Civil War saw 170,000 dead, 1 million displaced and 17,000 people still missing. During the conflict thousands of teenagers picked up arms to fight in a 15 years war that tore the nation apart.

In 1990, the Taif agreement brought the war to a close, integrating warring parties into a power sharing government. With an amnesty pardoning all crimes against civilians and no plans to reintegrate militiamen back into society, many fighters became anonymous, silent and were left to disappear into a society ravaged by internal strife.

Moving through the testimonies of Assad, a right wing Christian intelligence officer; Ahed, a Palestinian refugee fighter and Nassim, a Communist commander, About a War unpicks the personal motivations, trauma and regret of militiamen who picked up arms during the civil war. With no official account of the conflict, their testimonies build a multi-perspective picture of a crucial turning point in Lebanese history that radically transformed the Middle East.

Nowadays, ex-fighters Ahed, Assad and Nassim work towards breaking cycles of violence among young people in Lebanon. While their own personal confessions delve deeper into issues of violence and politics in the Middle East, they also stand as a cautionary tale for a country that continues to be marred by inequality and sectarian divide.

Daniele Rugo | ABI WEAVER

Daniele Rugo is an award winning filmmaker and Reader in Film at Brunel University London and currently a Visiting Professor at Sciences Po, Middle East Campus. Daniele Rugo’s work focuses on conflict and sustainable peace. About a War is his latest feature documentary. He is the author of three books and several journal articles. He is an affiliate of the Centre for Lebanese Studies in Beirut and has been an associate of the American University of Beirut.

Abi Weaver is an award winning producer/director & affiliate of the Centre for Lebanese Studies at LAU Beirut, has worked across a range of visual media: independent feature documentaries, online shorts, programming for major UK broadcasters . Her latest About a War explores violence & social change through testimonies of ex-fighters from the Lebanese Civil War. Abi is also a University of Surrey TECHNE researcher working on the voice in the filmed documentary interview through the lens of Levinasian philosophy.

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