Cohen Media Group is proud to announce the release of Lebanese director Ziad ("The Attack”) Doueiri’s gripping political drama, THE INSULT is shortlisted for the 2018 Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film and scheduled to open in New York on Friday, January 12 (Lincoln Plaza Cinema and The Quad), and Los Angeles on Friday, January 19 followed by a national roll out.
In today’s Beirut, a civilian dispute blown out of proportion finds Tony (Adel Karam), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser (Venice Film Festival Best Actor winner Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian refugee, facing off in court. As the media circus surrounding the case threatens a social explosion in divided Lebanon, Tony and Yasser reconsider their values and beliefs as revelations of trauma complicate their understanding of one another.
After leaving Lebanon during its Civil War, Ziad Doueiri moved to the US to study film at San Diego State University. He went on to work as a camera operator on Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs", "Pulp Fiction" and "Jackie Brown." His directorial debut, the critically acclaimed Cannes Film Festival Directors Fortnight selection "West Beirut," put him on the map as one of the most promising directors from the Middle East. His third film “The Attack,”a controversial drama about an Arab Israeli surgeon whose life is shattered after discovering his wife was a suicide bomber, was a critical and box office hit. THE INSULT is Mr. Doueiri’s fourth film.
In a move that has generated talk of censorship, THE INSULT was removed from the October 2017 line up of the Ramallah’s "Days of Cinema” showcase after the festival's organizers were told by city authorities to pull the film. Ziad’s previous film “The Attack" was mainly filmed in Israel, and led to accusations by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement that Doueiri was normalizing relations with Israel which are still causing actions against the director and his new film.
“‘The Insult’ will become a major talking point.” Jay Weissberg, Variety
“Compelling….Rich with feelings that transcend the sprawling national backdrop.” Eric Kohn, IndieWire
“‘The Insult’ also starts exploring more abstract matters such as what triggers people, is there such a thing as a too-emotional response and the extent to which historical grievances count and influence people’s behavior today.” Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter
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