De-Generation, Edwin Harb-Kadri’s first short film, is a different, gutsy, and brutally honest reflection on the Lebanese civil war.
It’s no secret that most movies made in Lebanon in the post civil war era have been, unsurprisingly, about this same conflict. After all, the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), marked an entire generation and changed the lives of millions of people.
Some of these movies truly captured what life was like during the war, others failed, and the rest were too broad or just poor and confusing attempts. De-Generation, cannot be compared to any previous movie about the Lebanese civil war.
Why?
Because Edwin Harb-Kadri, and his talented cast and team, focused on one aspect of the war: How it still haunts us today. He tells a touching story of betrayal, friendship, love, hate, and death in under 30 minutes.
This short film was shot in several locations throughout Lebanon in several days only. The production was mostly self and crowd funded, and the result is captivating.
The perspective and the angles are perfect; some of them are used for the first time in Lebanon for this type of short film. The music is a true reflection of what the generation portrayed in the movie listens to.
Edwin Harb-Kadri wanted his viewers to live the experience of being in the movie, he didn’t want them to be passive observers. After watching the movie, I can safely say his mission is accomplished.
De-Generation took me back to the early 1990’s and then brought me to our present day again in a matter of minutes.
In fact, the short film gradually builds momentum for the final scene, which was epic (in my humble opinion). There’s a lot of spirituality in this movie, despite the fact that it is about internal and external conflicts.
The young director chose to screen his first short film to a select number of close friends at L’Appartment Beirut in Ashrafieh last weekend. The movie should be screened on the big screen around mid-April, and you should not miss it!
