The Lebanon-set feature documentary In The Shadow Of Beirut has been selected as Ireland’s entry for best international feature film at the 2024 Oscars.
Stephen Gerard Kelly, who co-directs with Garry Keane (Gaza), makes his feature directorial debut. Brendan J. Byrne and Myriam Sassine produced and Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Siobhan Sinnerton of HiddenLight Productions served as executive producers.
In The Shadow Of Beirut is a portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the city. Filmed with unique access to these families, Kelly spent five years living among the film’s protagonists in the communities of Sabra and Shatila on the outskirts of Beirut.
Told primarily in Arabic, the documentary is the latest Irish-made film not in the English language selected by IFTA to represent Ireland. Last year, Irish-language feature The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) was selected and went on to become the first Irish film to earn an Oscar nomination.
Other previous selections have included Viva (Spanish-language) which was long-listed, Song Of Granite (Irish-language), As If I Am Not There (Serbo-Croatian- language), Arracht (Irish-language), Gaza (Arabic-language); Foscadh (Irish-language), and Kings (Irish-language).
Financiers for the documentary are Screen Ireland and ZDF/Arte. Lead producer is Belfast-based Cyprus Avenue Films (Gaza). Production partners include Beirut’s Abbout Productions (Lebanon), Republic of Ireland-based Real Films (Gaza) and Berlin-based Gebrueder Beetz Filmproduktion (The Cleaners).
Co-producers include Myriam Sassine, Christian Beetz and Alison Toomey. Executive producers for HiddenLight Productions are Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Siobhan Sinnerton.
In The Shadow Of Beirut has already qualified for consideration for the Oscars documentary feature category after winning best international feature film at New Zealand’s Doc Edge Festival, where it received its world premiere earlier this year.
Speaking about the selection Kelly said: “This recognition from Ireland is an immense honour for me personally, and my co-directing partner Garry Keane. More importantly, this recognition will continue to keep Lebanon in peoples’ minds and hearts, particularly the people in the film, whom I care deeply about.”
Producer Byrne added, “It’s a great honour to secure this coveted recognition from Ireland as the Oscar selection for best international feature. We’re very proud of this film and the people and stories that it brings to the screen.”
“This is such an important film for a global audience to connect with,” said IFTA CEO Áine Moriarty. “This raw storytelling on screen is delivered with such heart-breaking honesty.”
The film was selected by the Irish Film and Television Academy’s (IFTA) 2023 selection committee comprising filmmaker Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot), producer Brian Falconer (Ordinary Love), actress Cathy Belton (Hidden Assets), writer-director Frank Berry (Michael Inside), and media executive Muirne Laffan.
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