Hey friends,

So, I watched “Zaytoun” last night and figured I’d share my thoughts. You probably haven’t heard much about it, right? Directed by Eran Riklis, this film’s a bit of a hidden gem. It’s set in 1982 Beirut, smack in the middle of the Lebanon War. We follow a Palestinian kid, Fahed, who befriends an Israeli fighter pilot, Yoni, after his plane goes down. I know, sounds heavy. And it is. But also, kind of beautiful?

First off, the kid who plays Fahed, Abdallah El Akal, is incredible. Like, seriously, this kid’s got chops. One minute, he’s this tough little street-smart guy, and the next, you see just how vulnerable he is. Talk about pulling on the ol’ heartstrings. And Stephen Dorff as Yoni—okay, confession time. I haven’t seen him in much since “Blade” (yeah, throwback). But here, he really brings this rough, layered character to life. You end up rooting for both of them, which is no small feat given the backdrop of war and all.

Visually, the film captures the gritty essence of war-torn Beirut pretty well. There’s this one scene where they’re navigating the rubble, and you can practically feel the dust in your lungs. But there’s also this openness, a hopefulness that peeks through. Like when they’re sitting around a fire sharing stories, and for a moment, you kinda forget who’s supposed to be the enemy.

On the flip side, the pacing’s a bit uneven. Some parts drag, and I found myself glancing at the clock (always a bad sign). But maybe that’s intentional? War isn’t exactly a non-stop action sequence, right? Still, a tighter edit wouldn’t hurt.

And speaking of war, it got me thinking about a story I heard from my granddad about growing up during WWII in Sweden. He used to tell us how, despite all the chaos, people still found ways to connect, like bonding over a cup of coffee (or whatever they could scrounge up). Here, it’s more or less the same. People finding a way through, despite everything.

So yeah, “Zaytoun” isn’t perfect, but it’s real. And sometimes, that’s enough. If you’re into films that make you think and feel, give it a shot. Here’s the trailer