Héritages

Heritages is an amazing work of art. It embodies all the emotions, exciting and painful, that accompany every Lebanese leaving his country. This work made me tear up and laugh many times during the movie. While I may not be the best judge of cinematic techniques, it is definitely a movie that speaks to all hearts, especially those that left their country. Philip Araktingi made me think about going back to live in Lebanon. He reignited the belief in the Lebanese people and country as one day making it in the world. It reached to every aspect of a Lebanese life throughout its life stages: childhood through adulthood. It speaks to all of us. It is highly recommended if you are Lebanese and like the fact that you are Lebanese.

Came across this movie on netflix. This film dissects a transgenerational problem that, by now, has become a defining factor of eastern mediterranean/ levantine identities: Displacement and its effect on identity. Not only is the theme very relevant to the Lebanon of today, but also the manner with which it treats the topic. To be genuine, eager to discover the past, and full of energy to learn and rebuild the country we dream of!

I very much enjoyed watching Heritages and my rating is based on how much it touched my soul and I could relate to many of the stories. I liked the little highlight on the parallel lives with the director's ancestors. The personal stories told about the Lebanese civil war came across as unbiased and sharing them with his kids was a good idea I thought. I find a large number of the young generation have little knowledge about what went on and the Lebanese history books don't mention this period at all.

NB: This film is very relatable to me having the same age as the director; lived the civil war in Lebanon until 1984 where I left to study in France; lived the war in 2006 with my four children while on vacation and we have been evacuated by the first French boat to Cyprus. Therefore, every part of this film means alot to me.

Great flashback over 30 years earlier where director show his own experience of wars in Lebanon. Read about it in school, listened to his parents about previous wars, lived the civil war in 1975 and then the 2006. The best way to describe this film is "Art" instead of documentary. The director bring us on a journey of emotions and discoveries where individual, family and history play central stage. Leveraging the family, resemblences, shooting techniques, and mixing past with today play great deal of creation. The protagonist act by engaging others like mother, wife, children, and neighbours faced with the love of two countries.

Recommend to everyone looking for something different.

A deep journey in the Lebanese story through the eyes, the memories and the emotions of a family and its generations. Nostalgic, emotional and so attached to Life, the movie and the regisseur express the same spirit that I breath everytime I step in this crazy land called Lebanon. The movie speaks to you as if you were part of the family, an intimate storytelling that combines "theater fiction" and reportage, a wire between past, present and future of a family and of a nation, an attempt to face up the wounds and to heal them with courage and sensitivity . I loved it and I highly recommend it, thamks to the regisseur!