Heaven Beneath My Feet

In Lebanon, a marriage can turn into a prison. Filmmaker Sandra Madi watched her friend struggle for twelve years to get a divorce from her husband, who used all his money and power to get his way. It prompted her to zoom in on the anguish produced by the legal system in her home country.

The laws are determined by religious sects in Lebanon, each with their own judges who nearly always rule in favor of the man. Heaven Beneath My Feet tells the heartbreaking stories of three mothers who are denied custody of their children as a result of the prevailing rules. Lina’s son, for example, was abducted and taken to Germany, and the question now is whether she can obtain a residence permit there herself. She hardly sees her child, partly because he has become afraid of her.

From a distance we see them living lives consumed by despair, fear, and loneliness. An important document on the direct consequences of an oppressive system.