Welcome to another edition of FlixChatter double reviews. Today we’re looking at two female-led indie films made by female filmmakers I hadn’t heard of before.

Shadows of Beirut

Shadows of Beirut is a deeply personal story of a fraught family reunion. Written and acted by Tala Calil, who drew inspiration from her own life, the film follows Lana—a Lebanese-British woman in her 30s making her way back to Beirut to spend time with her dying father. She’s established a comfortable life in London nearly three decades after she and her mother left Lebanon when she was a young girl. It’s not clear what her profession is, but she’s clearly well-educated, has a good career, and is in a steady relationship with a British man who loves her.

When someone from her past shows up with news that her father is seriously ill, Lana finds herself hesitant about going back to see him. Having spent more than 30 years away from my own country, I get why she’d be reluctant to stir up painful memories. Through a series of flashbacks, we see Lana’s distressing recollections and unresolved trauma tied to her father, who frequently appeared drunk and abusive toward her mother.

Helmed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Tina Gharavi, we’re invited to follow Lana’s deeply personal exploration of identity, memory, and belonging. Calil portrays Lana as a beautiful woman who’s emotionally withdrawn and reserved, struggling with severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). When Lana’s cousin Rami (Assaad Bouab, who’s great in the Call My Agent! Series) greets her at the airport, his gregarious nature stands in sharp contrast to Lana’s quiet nature. The handsome Rami is clearly well off; he drives a Range Rover and owns a nightclub, but later we learn he’s dealing with his own marital troubles. The two share a genuine bond so they must’ve kept in touch despite living continents apart.

Lana’s visit to the hospital to see her father hits a snag when she meets his confrontational second wife. This causes her to have a panic attack, but a kind paramedic named Sirine (Flavia Bechara) comes to her aid. Bechara brings lots of energy and charm to the film with her lively personality. I like her right away as she befriends Lana and shows her around Beirut, helping her feel connected to her home country again. Sirine is openly queer, which makes me want to learn more about her, who works as a paramedic by day and DJ by night. I’m especially interested in how she manages her life in a majority Muslim country, even though Lebanon is more liberal than many other Middle Eastern nations.

This movie is not political, though Gharavi sets it against the city’s broader, messy political context. Shot during lockdown in Beirut and Bulgaria, we see a glimpse of a nation grappling with economic and political turmoil, where you can still see visible scars from past conflicts in some areas. 

I find the idea of a woman pushed outside her comfort zone in a homeland she barely recognizes to be interesting. However, the movie isn’t as compelling as it could’ve been due to the lack of character development. I’d love to have seen more interaction between Lana and her mother. Her family crisis in Beirut is causing friction with her boyfriend (Michael E. Rodgers), as Lana hasn’t shared much about her past with him, but the relationship isn’t fully fleshed out to make us care.

Another issue I have is with Calil, who has no acting experience before this role. It’s tough to feel connected to Lana even though her story matters, because she keeps people at a distance and the character isn’t very likable. It makes me wonder if Bechara had played Lana instead; perhaps I might enjoy the film more.

Still, Shadows of Beirut is worth a watch. It raises important questions about whether we heal by understanding other people or by being kind to ourselves. Sometimes going back to painful memories might bring healing and help us move forward.

Shadows Of Beirut is currently playing in UK Theaters

---

The Scout

I often think that being a location scout for film or TV must be pretty sweet, but honestly, I have no clue what the job actually entails. The Scout follows Sofia (Mimi Davila), who scouts locations for a TV pilot being shot in New York City. I’m curious if her character’s name is a nod to Davila’s hometown of Sofia in Bulgaria. 

Sofia’s gig is hunting down the homes, shops, and outdoor spots where the show gets filmed. She’s constantly exploring different parts of the city, poking around in strangers’ private spaces to snap photos of their cozy apartments and businesses, basically inserting herself into people’s worlds while juggling the crazy demands of her uncaring bosses.

The film unfolds across a single day, featuring Sofia’s interactions with the various people whose locations she scouts. This marks writer/director Paula González-Nasser‘s first feature film. Having worked as a location scout herself, plus stints as a production designer and crew member, she’s definitely writing from personal experience. The Scout really highlights how challenging it is to produce a series. Sure, it’s one thing when you’ve got major streaming platforms like Netflix or AppleTV backing you with serious cash, but the production shown here is clearly working with a tight budget. 

Sofia’s flying solo as the location scout—no big team spreading out across New York City. She’s basically doing it all herself, driving around various neighborhoods, racking up parking tickets left and right, and searching for residential spaces, shops, and even a fish store. Her run-in with the fish store manager (Matt Barats) is pretty awkward and uncomfortable. He starts out mad at Sofia for showing up late, then suddenly pivots and asks her to grab lunch so he can pitch her his weird Moby-Dick knockoff TV show idea.

The grueling below-the-line operation is shown as really stressful, with folks in power being hypercritical and all over the place. Sofia basically gets treated like she’s not even there, practically invisible; while erratic directors and production managers constantly nitpick every detail about the locations she scouts.

Sofia goes through moments of curiosity, vulnerability, and quiet tension until her work suddenly becomes personal. She runs into Becca (Otmara Marrero), an old college friend who’s expecting in eight months. Becca lives in a beautiful apartment; she’s basically the poster child for financial security, domestic stability, and the freedom to do what she wants. This reunion awakens Sofia’s suppressed creative aspirations—specifically her dreams of working behind the camera as a director. 

The view from Becca’s rooftop through a skylight down into the bar below highlights a stark contrast to Sofia’s life: people down there are enjoying themselves and living their lives, while Sofia keeps grinding without any relief in sight. It’s a brief but pivotal encounter, revealing that Sofia’s current job feels like a sellout, essentially thankless grunt work for other people’s mediocre projects. Life’s been so hectic that Sofia barely has time to notice how far she’s drifted from her true artistic calling.

The Scout clocks in at just 90 minutes, though it can feel a bit slow since there’s basically no plot—it’s more of a slice-of-life that shows the struggles young artists face. Some viewers might think it’s tedious, but I find it fascinating, as it shows the unglamorous side of TV production behind the scenes that makes you both laugh and feel uncomfortable.

Davila is terrific in her first leading movie role; her acting is deadpan and restrained, and she handles her character’s inner pain really well. I truly feel for Sofia and I think many young artists can relate to what she’s dealing with. González-Nasser shows both the agony and ecstasy of working in the creative field through a young woman who moves through other people’s worlds while trying to figure out who she is.

The Scout is playing at New York’s Film Forum starting on September 25, and DTLA’s Alamo Drafthouse on October 2.
In theaters nationwide this Fall