The River

It is autumn. In the heart of the Lebanese mountains, a man (Ali Suliman) and a woman (Yumna Marwan) are about to leave a restaurant. They are surprised by low-flying fighter planes which scream past. In the distance, war seems to be breaking out once again. Losing sight of the woman, the man starts looking for her. He finds her on the other side of the mountain. Together they sink deeper into nature, which becomes increasingly spectral, just like the slender thread that ties them to each other. The River is the final chapter of a trilogy in which filmmaker Ghassan Salhab explores the disquieted state of mind of his country’s citizens. It premiered at the 2021 Locarno International Film Festival.

Ghassan Salhab was born in Dakar, Senegal. In addition to making his own films, he collaborates on various projects and teaches film in Lebanon. He has directed eight feature films, among them the prize-winning Beyrouth Fantôme (1998), Terra Incognita (2002), and The Valley (2014). He is also the author of numerous essays and video works.