Cyril Aris on love as resistance in 'Un mundo frágil y maravilloso'

Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris discusses his feature 'Un mundo frágil y maravilloso' (A Sad and Beautiful World), which follows Nino (Hassan Aqil) and Yasmina (Mounia Akhle) over three decades against the backdrop of a collapsing Beirut. The film, co-written with Bane Fakih, premiered at Venice and won audience awards at SEMINCI and Middle East Now Film Festival. Aris, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences member and Columbia MFA graduate, previously directed 'The President’s Visit' (Toronto International Film Festival) and 'Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano'. The narrative explores love as a survival tool amid Lebanon's political and economic crises. Cinematographer Jaouz Saad shifts from saturated colors in the first half to darker tones reflecting Beirut's post-2019 decline. Editor Nath Sanders (Barry Jenkins collaborator) worked instinctively despite not speaking Arabic. Composer Anthony Sahyoun blended traditional Lebanese music with electronic elements, winning an award at Festival de Montpellier. Aris employed improvisation techniques with actors, including chef Tino Karam, to achieve spontaneity. The director expressed disillusionment with Western democracies' silence on Israel's 2023 wars but praised Spain's symbolic stance. Lebanese audiences have embraced the film as an authentic portrayal of their identity.