Dancers' tale proves big hit in Lebanon

A film delving into the lingering effects of Lebanon's civil war has proven to be a big hit, writes Rory McCarthy

Rory McCarthy Thursday February 16, 2006

Guardian Unlimited

The star performer at the Lebanese cinema box office these days is an unexpected hit. At its heart Bosta is a straightforward film about an old bus and an eclectic troupe of dancers, shot on a modest budget, paid for with Arab money and starring Lebanese actors.

But in these times of political gloom in Lebanon, this uplifting musical has brought in larger audiences here than any of Hollywood's recent multi-million dollar blockbusters.

It's been years since a Lebanese-made movie was such a success, especially one tackling head on the sensitive legacy of the war years. Bosta - the name means bus - is about a young Lebanese man, Kamal, who has just come home after 15 years in France. He wants to reunite his old friends, a group of dancers who studied at school together.

But much has changed. Kamal left the country during the war years after a parcel bomb assassinated his father, who ran the school. While he was away the war worsened and one of the friends was swept up into a militia and then ordered to mortar the school ("I destroyed my own childhood," he says).

Although the buildings are in ruins, the old school-bus hidden in a garage is untouched. Kamal and his friends repair and repaint it and set off on a tour of Lebanon to promote their dancing. They dance the Dabkeh, a traditional line dance performed not only in Lebanon but in places like Syria, Jordan and Iraq. But their version is performed to a modern, techno beat, an exuberant shock to the conservative world of Dabkeh. Their first performance, before the jury of the National Dabkeh Festival, is a flop and they are accused of wrecking what little is left of their cultural heritage. "No Lebanese speaks Arabic anymore and all our women are blond," laments one of the judges.

At one level the film is a touching love story. At the same time though, their modern dance style is of course a symbol of a new generation trying to move on from the darkness of their history. "Why long for something that's been ravaged or killed?" asks Kamal.

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