MANARA: Highlights Lebanon’s Increasing Mental Health Crisis

After the premiere of his latest short film, Manara, at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, director Zayn Alexander explained that the film grew out of his angst and frustration with Lebanese culture and its obsession with appearances, and the picture perfect illusion forced to remain intact towards the outside community.

Filled with strong performances from its three leads and highlighting a crisis sweeping silently throughout Lebanon, Manara is densely packed within its fifteen-minute runtime. Set against a stunning coastal backdrop, the film is gorgeously shot by cinematographer Aron Meinhardt. Alexander has something to say about his country’s behavioural and psychological attitudes and it is remarkable what he manages to achieve in such a short time frame.

A Family Consumed By Grief

“Manara means lighthouse. A lighthouse is a steady and grounded structure that leads people to safety and away from danger, risk, and adversity. A lighthouse symbolises the way forward and helps in navigating our way through rough waters. What happens when that light is extinguished? How then do we move from adversity?”

This is the question posed by Alexander and screenwriter Pascale Seigneurie — who previously collaborated on the short film, Abroad (2018). After tragedy falls upon Alia Zayyed (Hala Basma Safieddine) and her two children, Rami and Noura (Alexander and Seigneurie), the three surviving members, prepare for the funeral of the family’s patriarch who has died under mysterious circumstances. With little time before mourners and locals arrive to pay their respects, Alia takes out her anger on her children and desperately wants them to keep the reason for their father’s death a secret. However, Rami and Noura don’t want to hide and Rami, in particular, rejects the idea, “Lying about what happened, that’s not weakness?” Alia quickly responds with a firm, “Yes”. Rami and Noura just want to grieve their beloved father in peace, without their mother concerning about possible judgmental locals.

Shot in the beautiful Al-Fanar Resort in Tyre, Southern Lebanon, the entirety of the film takes place around a lighthouse; symbolising what Alexander said about navigating through rough waters. On the inside of the lighthouse; however, the family dynamic is crumbling due to secrecy. Anger and grief overcome Alia and, a moment of vitriol pierces through her veins, she snaps at Rami, “You’re almost thirty and accomplished nothing.” Likewise, Rami and Noura are struggling to grieve and take out their frustrations on their mother and her inability to let go of avoiding embarrassment.

Manara: Conclusion

Alexander does a wonderful job of examining a culture struggling with an increasing mental health crisis. Manara feels almost like a mini-play and it deserves to be a part of the conversation, and Alexander and Seigneurie are confident in discussing these vital issues. Mental health is a global crisis at the moment but some cultures struggle to openly discuss these matters more than others. With social media and technology, we are more connected than ever, yet we have never been so disconnected. Manara is thoughtful and quietly powerful, and feels particularly timely.

Manara debuted at the Venice Film Festival last year, before heading to the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia — where it was nominated for Narrative Short Film — and the Alexandria Short Film Festival in Egypt, where the film won the “Silver Hypatia Award” for Best Short Film. Prior to its first official premiere at the 76th Venice Film Festival, Manara won the “Laguna Sud” 2019 Award for Best Short Film.

For more information about Manara and its creators, go here.