In her directorial debut, Mary Jirmanus Saba deals with a forgotten revolution, saving from oblivion bloodily suppressed strikes at Lebanese tobacco and chocolate factories. These events from the 1970s, which held the promise of a popular revolution and, with it, of women’s emancipation, were erased from collective memory by the country’s civil wars. Rich in archival footage from Lebanon’s militant cinema tradition, the film reconstructs the spirit of that revolt, asking of the past how we might transform the present.
“Documentary cinema at its best, this is exciting, thrilling, encouraging. Saba has managed to deliver a very brave and mature debut film, which tells its audience a lot about the unknown history of the Middle East.” –FIPRESCI
