THE INSULT (L’INSULTE) World Cinema

On a day like any other in downtown Beirut, unassuming construction foreman Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, approaches Christian nationalist Tony, seeking permission to fix a broken drainage pipe outside Tony’s apartment. Hotheaded and always ready for a fight, father-to-be Tony’s short fuse quickly turns what should have been a simple conversation into a war of words, soon escalating into increasingly violent exchanges between the battle-hardened men. But when a reconciliation attempt between the two turns ugly, leading to a courtroom showdown, Tony and Yasser’s small-time dispute spirals out of control. This engrossing and unforgettable tale of modern life in the Middle East is a razor-sharp look at a country’s long-simmering resentments toward Palestinian refugees, and its traumatized civil war wounds. – Cedar Sherbert