The Sea Between Us

In 1975, a bloody civil war broke out in Lebanon, in which around 250,000 people died. Twenty-five years after the war ended, Shiites, Christians and Sunnis live together again in peace in the densely populated country, but the divisions of the past are still perceptible.

Director Marlene Edoyan, who grew up in Lebanon herself, filmed two Lebanese women: Hayat and Wafaa. They come from different population groups, live in different neighborhoods, but both grew up during the civil war. The intimate conversations that Hayat and Wafaa have with friends and family are often about politics—of the past, and even more so of today. Events in the surrounding countries have an impact on their lives and on the precarious peace in their country.

Their strong views are sometimes confusing and uncomfortable, and show that there’s still an invisible dividing line between their worlds. Is there a possibility for forgiveness and reconciliation, or will suspicion, suffering and lies continue to prevail?