LEBANON

Year: 2009
USA: Sony Pictures Classics
UK: Metrodome Distribution
Cast: Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Strauss, Dudu Tassa, Ashraf Barhom, Reymond Amsalem
Director: Samuel Maoz
Countries: Israel / France / Germany
Language: Hebrew (English subtitles)
USA & UK: 93 mins
USA Rated: R for disturbing bloody war violence, language including sexual references, and some nudity
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and violence
USA Release Date: 6 August 2010
UK Release Date: 14 May 2010 (Limited Release)


Synopsis

The First Lebanon War â€" June, 1982. A lone tank is dispatched to search a hostile town that has already been bombarded by the Israel Air Force. What seems to be a simple mission gets gradually out of control and turns into a death trap, a shivering nightmare.

Shmuel (Yoav Donat) the gunner, Assi (Itay Tiran) the commander, Herzl (Oshri Cohen) the loader and Yigal (Michael Moshonov) the driver are the tank’s crew. Four boys aged 20 plus who are operating a killing machine. They are not fighters, eager for battle, conquest or self-sacrifice. Entangled in the absurd and unfair war nets they are terrified to death by its horrors. They’re brave kids losing their innocence in the most brutal way and being mentally destroyed. A sharp basic instinct will push them to the limits as they struggle hard to survive in a situation they cannot contain anymore, desperately trying not to lose their humanity amid the chaos of war.

Lebanon is a personal film, a film about four boys who had never been involved in anything violent before and found themselves killing people, A film about survival against a palpable threat of death, a situation in which the conflict between their basic instincts and human conscious claims its victims.

Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
Winner of the 14th Annual Satyajit Ray Award