Under The Bombs review

“A fictional story set in harsh reality”: that’s how Lebanese writer/director Philippe Aractingi pitches his heartfelt road movie. Shot during Israel’s 33-day bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, it follows wealthy Shiite woman Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat) and Christian taxi driver Tony (Georges Khabbaz) as they travel from Beirut to the country’s devastated south, in search of Zeina’s missing sister and son. Under The Bombs is steeped in authenticity: dramatic news footage is woven into the story, while all the supporting characters (refugees, soldiers, foreign journos, Hezbollah supporters, aid workers) play themselves. Steering clear of political sermonising – or voyeuristic images of corpses – Aractingi poignantly conveys the suffering imposed on innocents in wartime.