Cyril Aris’ debut A SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD is an exhilarating love story set against decades of turmoil in Lebanon that continue today. Winner of multiple audience awards, including at Venice 2025.

Nino and Yasmina were born a minute apart in a Beirut hospital while bombs fell around them and became close childhood friends before tragic circumstance intervened. When fate throws them together decades later, Nino is an irresistibly charming optimist who owns a rowdy restaurant, while Yasmina is a cautious government consultant. Delightful rom-com shenanigans ensue as Nino pursues Yasmina, but in a place where gunfire, missiles and economic chaos are ever-present both must consider if there is any future for them in Beirut.

Aris’ film is a beautifully judged mix of romance, humour and stark reality, matched by the immensely appealing performances and magnetic chemistry of Hasan Akil and Mounia Akl.