# Arzé

Arzé (Arabic: أرزة) is a 2024 Lebanese comedy-drama directed by Mira Shaib in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Diamand Abou Abboud, Betty Taoutel, and Bilal Al Hamwi. The film was Lebanon's submission to the 97th Academy Award, but was not nominated.

## Plot

Arzé, a single mother, is determined to buy her son Kinan a scooter so he can help her deliver the pies she bakes, her only source of income. To make this happen, she steals and pawns her sister's bracelet as a down payment. But when the scooter is stolen, Arzé takes matters into her own hands and drags her reluctant son all over Beirut in search of the missing scooter.
Arzé and her son quickly find themselves embroiled in a long journey full of twists and turns as they navigate the sectarianism and chaos of Beirut. To blend in with each neighborhood they visit, Arzé gets creative and puts on different disguises; changing her accent, donning a hijab or a Christian cross, and even giving Kinan a new name.

## Cast

* Diamand Abou Abboud as Arzé
* Betty Taoutel as Layla
* Bilal Al Hamwi as Kinan
* Shaden Fakih as Dina
* Hagop Der Ghougassian as Sevag
* Junaid Zeineldine as Noor
* Fouad Yammine as Nicolas
* Fadi Abi Samra as Joseph
* Tarek Tamim as Saadeddine
* Elie Mitri as Junkyard Owner
* Joyce Nasrallah as Odette
* Saad Kadri as Ahmad
* Ibrahim Ajami as Ali
* Mounir Challita as Mandoor
* Kathy Youness as Yasmine

## Development

The film is written and produced by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib. The script, by Faissal Sam Shaib and Louay Khraish, was an Official Finalist in the First Time Screenwriter Competition at the 2018 Amsterdam Film Festival Van Gogh Awards
After being signed on the project, Mira Shaib and Producer Zeina Badran were selected in 2018 to Film Independent's Global Media Makers LA Residency where they developed the project. In 2019, the film was among only six Arabic projects selected to the inaugural Red Sea Lodge, which was in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab. The film, originally titled, I Am Arzé, was among the first recipients of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation Production Fund.

## Production

Film production was delayed due to the mass protests in Beirut and later the pandemic, but shooting eventually took place at the end of 2022, albeit during the worst financial crisis Lebanon had witnessed.

## Release

The film had its world premiere in Beijing and its North American premiere in Tribeca. The Tribeca screenings were hosted by the nonprofit film organization, The Future of Film is Female.
Arzé was initially selected to premiere in the Official Competition of the 45th Cairo International Film Festival, but the festival was canceled due to the Israel-Hamas War. The film was selected again the following year to compete in the Horizons of Arab Cinema where Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib won the Youssef Sherif Rezkallah Award for Best Screenplay and Diamand Abou Abboud the Best Actress Award, a day after she won the Snow Leopard Best Actor Award at the Asian World Film festival.
Arzé opened in theaters across Lebanon on September 5, 2024.
Cineverse acquired the English-language distribution rights for Arzé to distribute across its platforms, including Fandor, in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

## Reception

Arzé received positive reviews after its premiere in Tribeca. Liz Whittemore of Reel News Daily praised the film, saying it was "a slice of genius" and "a delightful and entirely unexpected film in Tribeca 2024’s lineup, but undeniably one of the best." Whittemore also praised the script by Louay Khraish and Faissal Sam Shaib, saying it offered "moments of levity amidst the seriousness of Arzé’s plight... an interesting commentary on blame, the dangers of stereotyping, and tribalism." Paul Emmanuel Enicola of The Movie Buff praised Mira Shaib for "making Arzé a multidimensional character that makes her more relatable, frustrating, endearing, and more human." Nicole Sherine from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, also praised how Shaib directed the film "with an eye toward sensory experiences—imbuing the film with a rise and fall; highs of humor and intimacy juxtaposed with lows of disillusionment and anger."

## Submission to the Academy Awards

After a successful theatrical release in Lebanon, Arzé was selected as Lebanon's official submission for the 97th Academy Awards.

## Festivals & Awards

| Festival | Date of ceremony | Section | Award | Result | Notes |
| Carthage Film Festival | December 14 – 21, 2024 | In Competition | Golden Tanit | Won - Best Music | Tunisian Premiere |
| Cairo International Film Festival | November 13 – 22, 2024 | In Competition | Horizons of Arab Cinema | Won - Best Actress & Best Script | Arab & African Premiere |
| Asian World Film Festival | November 13 – 21, 2024 | In Competition | Main Competition - Snow Leopard | Won - Best Actress | SoCal Premiere |
| Arab Film Festival | October 24 – November 5, 2024 | In Competition | Main Competition | Won - Best Debut Feature | Bay Area Premiere |
| Newport Beach Film Festival | October 17 – 24, 2024 | In Competition | Narrative Drama Series | Nominated | West Coast Premiere |
| Lebanese Film Festival Australia | August 15 – 31, 2024 | In Competition | Film of the Year | Won | Australia Premiere |
| Tribeca Festival | June 5 – 16, 2024 | In Competition | Viewpoints | Nominated | North American Premiere |
| Beijing International Film Festival | April 18 – 26, 2024 | In Competition | Future Forward | Nominated | World Premiere |
| Cairo International Film Festival | November 15 – 24, 2023 (Canceled) | In Competition | Golden Pyramid | Nominated | Official selection at CIFF but festival was postponed. |