SHADOWS OF BEIRUT

Production Notes

Shadows of Beirut was filmed across Bulgaria and Lebanon during an extraordinary period marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, Lebanon’s economic collapse and the aftermath of the devastating Beirut Port explosion of August 2020. When filming in Beirut became impossible, the production recreated parts of the city on an exterior set at Nu Boyana Studios in Sofia. The remaining location scenes were filmed in Beirut approximately a year later, by which time parts of the city – and the lives of those involved in the production – had changed considerably.

Inspired by writer, producer and lead actor Tala Calil’s own experiences, the film began as a deeply personal exploration of estrangement, obsessive-compulsive disorder, inherited trauma and the enduring pull of family and place. Calil initially developed the screenplay before collaborating with director Tina Gharavi, whose contribution helped shape the final shooting script and bring Lana’s fragmented memories and inner world to the screen.

The Beirut Port explosion and the pandemic inevitably found their way into the fabric of the film, deepening its exploration of grief, displacement and resilience. Lana’s emotional journey came to mirror that of the city around her: both carry the weight of unresolved wounds, both are confronted by the past, and both must find a way to move forward without denying what has been lost.

The resulting film is both an intimate portrait of one woman returning to the family she left behind and a reflection on Beirut itself – a city continually negotiating memory, rupture and renewal.