Zozo

What can i say. Joseph Fares has managed to capture on film the experience of what it meant to be Lebanese and to be in Lebanon during the war. Away from any and all politicization, away from the savagery and brutality the film is able to project the "Human" face of what anyone of us would go through given the circumstances. I left in 1989 as well, but i was one of the fortunate ones and my family remained safe. What Joseph and Zozo (actor) were able to produce together was beyond remarkable. Beauty indeed is found in simplicity, so is power. Carmen Lebbos who plays zozo's mother in this unfolding story is also able to bring the best of her game and i wouldn't be surprised if the film is able to capture more than one home run at the Oscars. Goodluck :) Hint: in Lebanon we call Joseph --> ZoZo :)

The story of a boy who's living in Beirut during the war, He and his family are waiting for their papers in order to leave Lebanon and seek refuge in Sweden.... The horrors of war and the way it affects civilians is shown in this movie and it won't leave you untouched. But even in the most serious situations there is room for jokes and you will alternate between crying and laughing.

This is one of the strongest movies I've seen! I've never admired any director or even known that they were alive until yesterday when I saw Zozo. With three great movies (this one is the best) Joseph Fares has shown that he truly masters the art of telling a story.

I sincerely hope this movie is translated into English and other languages and if it doesn't get nominated for best foreign movie something is not right.

Don't miss this movie!

The movie deals with the agony of a young Lebanese boy who witnesses the death of his family and is when he is finally sent to live in Sweden with his grandparents, finds himself out-casted in a foreign society.

Josef Fares, cleverly represents the Lebanse society living through a horrible situation. The characterization and narrative allow the audience to strongly connect with the film as it something that we as Lebanese feel deeply connected with, having being affected by the civil war in one way or another.

From the technical side, the cinematography and use of visual effects were very well done again, inviting the audience into the world of the film. As an aspiring Lebanese filmmaker, it gives me a great feeling to know that there are talented Lebanese filmmakers all over the whole who still believe and are devoted to developing the Lebanese film industry. I strongly applaud director Josef Fares and I look forward to watching more of his films.

An 11-year old Lebanese boy Zozo (Imad Creidi) moves to Sweden from his heavily bombed home country after a tragedy occurs in his family. In Sweden he is welcomed by his loving grandparents (Elias Gergi and Yasmine Awad) but adapting to a new environment and learning a new language aren't easy for the boy who still suffers from painful memories of his old life in Lebanon.

The first half of the film takes place in Lebanon, which the brownish, orange-tinted cinematography paints as hot but full of light. In the midst of the frequent violent incidents in the city, Zozo's family loves him and wishes to give him a better future abroad. After arriving in Sweden, the mood changes from dangerous to longing, partly due to the beautifully green and bright Swedish summer that highlights the contrast between the two countries. His grandfather's lovable antics help him to get over past traumas and lead to some comedic incidents, but a sense of loneliness lingers on and Zozo knows that there's more to life than the grandfather's simplistic teachings suggest.

Besides the realistic portrayal of Zozo's experiences at the Lebanese streets and the Swedish school, the movie spices things up by adding an extra layer of fantasy in the form of creations from Zozo's imagination. Be it a talking chicken, a God-like ball of light or an explosive reaction to school-bullies, the visualizations of Zozo's inner world provide interesting insight to his character and make the film more memorable than the average dramas about adapting to new life.

Zozo is director Josef Fares' first move into a more serious territory after the comedic Jalla! Jalla! and Kopps, and as such it succeeds effortlessly. The story is inspired by Fares' own experiences as a young immigrant in Sweden, and his insight on the subject produces an effective piece of cinema with well balanced tragic and comical aspects. Thanks to Imad Creidi's unforced performance as Zozo and the bubbling joie de vivre of his grandfather, the film can be recommended to anyone interested in immigration-related cinema, but the sense of being an outsider in a group should appeal to big audiences as well.

The plot is rather predictable and on the simplistic side, whether it's the accidental tragedy of Zozo's family, or his later cultural shock. The acting and cast are good. But I was especially spell bounded by the music and the photography of the film. The film looks low budget and didn't pretend to be otherwise. But it attempted to draw on its strength in the forgotten tragedy in Lebanon and the strong acting and cinematography. And movie succeeded for the most part IMHO. As I was watching the film, I couldn't help but thinking in the back of my head of the more recent tragedy in southern Lebanon, perhaps more death and destruction this time around? How many Zozo were created this time? Marx said that history repeats itself the first time is tragedy, the second time farce. To those who were unfortunate enough to be part of it, it always will be just tragedy.