None of the nation's major politicians is regarded as a truly national figure. The Taif agreement also foresaw the withdrawal of tens of thousands of Syrian troops from Lebanese territory. But 10 years later, the Syrian troops remain, now complemented by hundreds of thousands of Syrian workers. The Syrian presence has left Lebanon a sovereign state in name only, but it has also kept a lid on disputes among the country's competing sectarian factions. The guns have fallen silent.
Emotions have yet to reconcile.
Hatreds have yet to be removed. The chances for diminished hatreds seem remote to Chahal Sabbag, the filmmaker. She was considering leaving France to live in Lebanon next summer, but the reaction to her film has dissuaded her, she said. Shortly after the censor saw the film, segments of the screenplay were leaked to Lebanese newspapers, which printed unflattering snippets containing religious and ethnic insults. In the mosques, clerics attacked Chahal Sabbag, a Muslim married to a Christian, by name.