The Insult(2018)

Submitted by Julio M

Oscar Nominee – Best Foreign Language Film

Short pooper:
Tony (Adel Karam) and Yasser (Kamel El Basha) mend their differences stemming from the insult incident -although Tony does get back at Yasser for the original punch-. Also, Yasser is found not guilty in Court, and Tony and Shirine’s (Rita Hayek) baby recovers.

Longer version:
When Tony and Shirine’s newborn child ends up on life support from what appears to be a combination of traumatic contractions Shirine experienced trying to assist Tony after he fainted in the aftermath of the original trial, plus emotional shock, the case against Yasser is reopened and brought back to trial; this time around, with the baby’s life on the line, Yasser risks a sentence for manslaughter.

The whole affair catches the attention of the media and escalates into a political and ideological circus that reopens old wounds of the troubled past between Muslims and Christians in Lebanon. Wajdi Wehbe (Camille Salameh), a pro-Christian driven by his harrowing memories of the Lebanese Civil War, represents Tony in Court, while Wajdi’s own daughter, Nadine (Diamand Bou Abboud) represents Yasser. Things get decidedly complicated when Nadine exposes Tony’s previous racially-charged comments against Yasser, about “Sharon getting rid of the Palestinians”, as well as Shirine’s history of miscarriages, which paints Tony as a racist bigot and possible abuser; Wajdi argues that Tony’s actions obeyed to emotional distress related to Yasser’s original insult and the illegal construction happening above his head.

As the arguments and procedures of the case make the news, it inflames the collective state of animosity, leading to public quarreling amongst the people. Moreover, Tony finds himself the target of death threats when Wajdi highlights the Sharon comments as “something private and law-protected freedom of thought, rather than a collective wish or incitement to public violence”.

At a climactic instance of the trial, Wajdi, having done some digging into Tony’s personal history, discovers that he was a victim and refugee of the infamous Damour Massacre, a bloody episode of the Civil War when Muslim militants, aided by the PLO, sieged the city and wreaked havoc against the Christian population, and presents a documentary about the incident in Court, which causes Tony to have a meltdown, since he was never open about this to Wajdi. This, however, fuels the case in favour of Tony. Nadine, in turn, shows Yasser as a victim of another similar, war-related happening: Black September, when the PLO unsuccessfully fought the Jordanian Government and was pushed onto Lebanon, of which Yasser ended up being a refugee himself.

On the eve of the final verdict, Tony and Yasser agree to acquaint, once more, to try and settle their feud. They somewhat sympathize and find a common ground over having lived through similar ordeals, fueled by intolerance and hatred. However, Yasser still tries to justify himself by asserting that any suffering from Christians would always be minimal, compared to what Muslims -particularly Palestines- have had to go through. In response, Tony punches Yasser in the gut, to which Yasser finally reacts by apologizing and they both laugh at the whole thing.

In the end, Tony and Shirine’s baby recovers, Yasser is cleared of all charges and acquitted, and both he and Tony appear to have overcome their issue as they exchange smiles while going their respective separate ways.rounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices.