A Sad and Beautiful World
(Nujum al'amal w al'alam)
Cyril Aris
In his visually stunning A Sad and Beautiful World, Cyril Aris creates a gripping love story that mirrors the turbulent history of Beirut. Nino and Yasmina are born on the same day – a fateful bond that draws them together over three decades. It is the kind of epic cinema that shows how certain people can irresistibly attract one another, no matter how often fate intervenes. But this film is far more than romance: It sets realistic demands on love and unfilteredly shows how challenging it is to trust your instinct in a world marked by war and economic crises.
This emotional intensity won international acclaim: at Venice 2025, the film received the popular audience award Giornate degli Autori. Aris captures the vibrations of a country oscillating between melancholy and a lust for life, using the story as a mirror for an entire generation. An atmospheric, dense epic about love as the only anchor in a fragile world.
2 May 2026
18:00 h, Kino des DFF
More information
| Direction | Cyril Aris |
| Country | Germany, Libanon, USA |
| Production year | 2025 |
| Duration | 110 min |
| Language | Arabic |
| Language Version | OV with English Subs |
| Genre | Drama |
| Production | Georges Schoucair, Jennifer Goyne Blake, April Shih, Georg Neubert, Jasper Wiedhöft |
| Production company | Abbout Productions, Diversity Hire, Reynard Films GmbH |
| Distribution | Neue Visionen |
| Cast | Mounia Akl, Hasan Akil, Julia Kassar |
| Director of Photography | Joe Saade |
| Script | Cyril Aris, Bane Fakih |
| Montage | Nat Sanders, Cyril Aris |
| Sound | Rana Eid, Lama Sawaya |
| Music | Anthony Sahyoun |
Filmfestspiele Venedig 2025: Audience Award
Press reviews:
“A heartfelt tribute to Lebanon – Cyril Aris crafts a nuanced portrait of love, humour and resilience amidst national uncertainty. An emotionally rich narrative that skilfully avoids sentimentality.” (Cineuropa)
“A highly engaging, heartfelt romance with considerable emotional pull. A film that tugs at viewers’ heartstrings, oscillating between hope and heartbreak.” (ScreenDaily)
“A captivating and tender fable that – just as the title promises – constantly dances on the edge between joy and despair, enchantment and melancholy.” (Asian Movie Pulse)
“There was a standing ovation after the premiere. Cyril Aris weaves the personal and the political together with extraordinary precision – a poetic reflection on real life in Beirut.” (L’Orient Today)
“A masterful work that both entertains and overwhelms the viewer. A thought-provoking, quiet masterpiece about the experience of love in contemporary Lebanon.” (Nina Rothe for the BFI London Film Festival)
HESSIAN PREMIERE
Q&A with the producer
LICHTER Special
