Kino Lorber will release Mounia Akl’s directorial debut Costa Brava, Lebanon, a keen and darkly comic commentary on Lebanon’s waste crisis and unsettled political landscape. Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release on July 15.
Costa Brava, Lebanon made its World Premiere at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, going on to collect the prestigious NETPAC Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Audience Award at the BFI London Film Festival.
Co-written by Akl and Clara Roquet, the film was the first feature in the Arab region to implement green measures on set, with sustainability measures created around recycling, water and electricity conservation, and reduced waste and carbon emissions with a goal of creating a protocol for future productions in the region.
Costa Brava, Lebanon stars Nadine Labaki, Saleh Bakri, Nadia Charbel, Liliane Chacar Khoury, and Geana and Ceana Restom, and is produced by Myriam Sassine and Georges Schoucair for Abbout Productions.
In Costa Brava, Lebanon, the free-spirited Badri family escape the toxic pollution and social unrest of Beirut by seeking refuge in a utopic mountain home they’ve devoted years to building for themselves. Unexpectedly, the government begins construction on a garbage landfill right outside their fence, bringing the trash and corruption of a whole country to their doorstep. As the landfill rises, so do family tensions, and the Badris are left with a choice: stay off the grid and stay true to their ideals, or leave their idyllic home and face the reality they fled.
Watch a trailer for Costa Brava, Lebanon
“I am so honored that my first feature, Costa Brava, Lebanon, has found a home with Kino Lorber in the US,” added director Mounia Akl. “Kino Lorber’s love for cinema is contagious and has allowed me to truly discover films and filmmakers throughout the years. I am humbled to bring a piece of our home to the US.”
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