A sad and beautiful world

Dir*: Cyril Aris. Lebanon/USA/Germany/Saudi Arabia/Qatar. 2025. 109mins*

A couple are constantly buffeted between hope and heartbreak in A Sad And Beautiful World, Cyril Aris’s first fiction feature which follows the lovers over three decades as they navigate the legacy of past lives and a Lebanon marked by civil-war. The result is an appealing, soulful romance with a considerable emotional tug, which now plays Red Sea competition following a premiere at Venice (where it shared the People’s Choice award with Vladlena Sandu’s Memory) and extensive festival play. It has also been selected as Lebanon’s official Oscar submission.

https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/a-sad-and-beautiful-world-review-lebanons-oscar-hopeful-is-appealing-soulful-romance/5211721.article