Shadows of Beirut Review – Engrossing, Compelling, Riveting

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Category: Haute This Issue

Published on Friday, 18 September 2026 13:07

Written by Janet Walker

Shadows of Beirut, from Buff Studios, presents a surprisingly intriguing story of family estrangements and decisions made as the past catches up to the present and a daughter whisked away in the night decides to visit her dying father.

The film begins in London, as Lana, played by Tala Calil, is in therapy. As her therapist explains, the work they have completed in these sessions has helped her regain control over Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and issues of abandonment. We meet her fiancé, Ben, played by Michael E. Rodgers, her mother, Mounia, played by Thuraya Baghdadi, and we see she has a strong family unit, a loving relationship, and is educated with a well-paying job. All seems well until the knock on the door.

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She is told her father, who still lives in Beirut, is dying and he wants to see her. The memories of Beirut are deep in the recesses of her mind, and even over the protests of her mother, who has managed to keep the messages from her, she decides to go, unsure of what she is hoping for or expecting.

Met at the airport by her cousin, Rami played by Assaad Bouab, we can see the seriousness of the pandemic has been lost on this land. And while the city has two faces, the new Beirut, high-end residences, and hotels, the old town, facades of yesterday are more prevalent as the remnants of the many wars that somehow entangled this city, have not yet been rebuilt. She arrives at her families old apartment.

And the memories come rushing out of every closet, every door opens to another vision of the past, the days when her father was not a good man, when he drank too much, and terrorized and abused her mother.

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The next day Lana decides to go to the hospital, visit her father and essentially get the visit over with. However, when she is steps away from the ICU unit, the door opens and the new wife, the one he married to replace them, looks at Lana, and forcefully says, "No." Lana, who is not comfortable with confrontation, and the idea of having to fight past the second wife to see the man that was so abusive that she and her mother fled in the night, causes her to turn and run, as she does, she drops her phone and begins to have a panic attack. She is comforted by a stranger, a paramedic, Sirine, played by Flavia Bechara, who helps her quiet her breathing and regain her composure.

As Lana is in Beirut to visit her father, and now needs to regroup, when Sirine suggests the two hang out, she agrees. As the time to develop a real friendship is impossible, the two seem comfortable just being themselves, and as Lana is here to visit her father, the conversation naturally circles around the memories, feelings, and opinions.

Then we find out that rami and Sirine know each other, and they all decide to go clubbing. It is a fun night. Lana has extended her stay yet again, calling her fiancé Ben and explaining that she will be on the plane tomorrow, she thinks. Tomorrow arrives, and she is still not ready to leave this city that she once hated.

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Finally, she decides to try and see her father again.

This sets up the final dramatic and unexpected conclusion to this intimate drama.

Poignant and tragic, Shadows of Beirut reveals the delicate balance many walk as they contemplate the notion of forgiving a dying parent especially when the only memories they have are those of injury, violence, and hurt. Inspired by writer and lead Tala Calil's own experiences, the film explores themes of obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, reconciliation and the enduring pull of family and place.

The ensemble cast delivers strong authentic and compelling performances. The cinematography also serves to enforce the emotional injuries as it stands as a gaping wound, destroyed by war and while parts can be hidden beneath a glossy façade, not far beneath the surface are the lacerations, and emotional scars.

Surprisingly engrossing, Shadows of Beirut, opens in UK and Irish cinemas September 25, 2026. See it.

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Country: UK.

Language: English.

Runtime: 90 minutes.

Director: Tina Gharavi. 

Producers: Tala Calil, Rob Van Norden, Pia Patatian, Dimo Aleksandrov. 

Executive Producer: Paula Crickard. 

Writer: Tala Calil.

Cast: Tala Calil, Assaad Bouab, Flavia Bechara, Michael R. Rodgers Thuraya Baghdadi, Christina Serafini, Lily Sucheva, Valizar Binev, Mo Ahmed, Ivan Rangelov, Krassimire Belev.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Under the banner of her production company, HL Productions, LLC, Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," and "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.