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Film
In Place
Four Returnees from the Lebanese Civil Wars
أولها نجوى... وآخرها

أربع شهادات فـي حروب «ماضية» (قدماً)
By Monika Borgmann & Lokman Slim
© 2009 UMAM D&R
Arabic with English & French subtitles


"In Place - 4 Returnees from the Lebanese Civil Wars" forgoes simplifying the violence that afflicted Lebanon. Instead, Monika Borgmann and Lokman Slim offer viewers a kaleidoscopic view of varied conflicts and actors. The film joins together four interviews, each one a separate act in the drama of the Lebanese civil wars.

Assaad Chaftari tells of his remorse over serving as a senior intelligence official in the Lebanese Forces. An anonymous Amal Movement fighter relates his experiences kidnapping people. Elias Atallah, now a prominent politician, speaks about violence and its use in politics. Another anonymous Amal fighter reveals his memories fighting in two overlooked wars: The War between Hezbollah and Amal, and the War of the Camps against the Palestinians. Wars affected and fated each of these people in different ways. Former leaders continue to hold respectable positions and their confidence shines through in their interviews. Former grunts continue to hold marginalized positions and give furtive interviews under the cover of anonymity.

"In Place - 4 Returnees from the Lebanese Civil Wars" cannot be considered a complete work because the drama of the Lebanese civil wars has as many acts as there were participants. Moreover, the drama of the Lebanese civil wars remains ongoing, with unresolved conflicts keeping Lebanon on the brink of falling back to the past.

This DVD was part of the What Is to Be Done? Lebanon's War-Loaded Memory initiative and made possible thanks to funding from the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa).

Interviews: Lokman Slim 
Camera & Sound: Monika Borgmann & Katia Jarjoura
Editing: Anne de Mo
Video Postproduction: Mazen Hashem
Audio Postproduction: B-Root Productions
Graphics: Hisham Salam
Length: 64 min

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