THE INSULT (L’Insulte) CWC D: Ziad Doueiri. France/Lebanon. 113 min. Sep 14, 5 pm, Winter Garden Sep 15, 2:45 pm, TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 Sep 17, 6 pm, Scotiabank 2. Rating: NNNN
After an argument about a balcony drainpipe escalates to harsh language, a Beirut mechanic (Adel Karam) demands an apology from a Palestinian construction foreman (Kamel El Basha), which the foreman refuses. And, somehow, this leads to a national crisis.
The latest allegorical drama from Lebanese auteur Doueiri (West Beirut, The Attack) draws on the history of the Middle East and long-standing tensions between Palestinians and Lebanese Christians.
But even without that subtext, the film would still play. At its core this is a story about simple, stubborn pride, and what happens when anger obscures understanding. And Karam and El Basha make every new stage of their battle entirely convincing.
