A letter from Lebanon (1977)

Directed by: George Sluizer | 38 minutes | documentary

The second film in what would eventually become a four-part series of portraits about two families (a Christian and an Islamic family) expelled from (the former) Palestine in Lebanon, is both a warm and poignant reunion. A reunion that confirms old visions and above all – precisely by looking back on it after so many years – provides a disillusioning picture of a deplorable situation that will most likely never end.

Since the previous film – ‘The Land of the Forefathers’ – the armed struggle has intensified. That is to say, the Lebanese civil war has broken out and has caused many victims and new refugees. One of the families has had to leave her home and move into a flat outside the camp in Beirut due to security concerns. Fortunately, all the ‘main characters’ escaped unscathed.

The daughter of the Muslim family, Saada, is now studying electronics in Italy, even though she said in the previous film that she couldn’t because she is too close to her family. But she had no choice because she is not allowed in her own region – she is seen as a terrorist. In Italy it is possible, and she will receive a scholarship.

Its purpose has remained unchanged. Just like in ‘The Land of the Forefathers’, Sluizer asks her what she thinks about the word ‘future’. And just like then, the answer is ‘revolution to victory’. Because anyone who thinks she has become westernized or no longer wants to fight for the ‘good cause’ is wrong. Although there seems to be little (anymore) sign of unity between the Arabs, it has not made the Hammads any less combative any more than the Jaddas (the Muslim and Christian families, respectively).

George Sluizer briefly asks what they think of the suggestion to lay down their arms, together with all other parties – as the Palestinian peace movement would like – but this is out of the question. They owe it not only to themselves but also to their children and grandchildren to keep fighting for their homeland.

‘A letter from Lebanon’ (or ‘A Reason to Go’) may not offer much new content, but the reunion with these sympathetic families is pleasant, as is the knowledge that they ‘just’ survived. Other than that, it’s mostly sad. Both the idea – or the reality? – that things can only change by force if the foreknowledge of the events still hanging over them all makes this reunion overwhelmingly bittersweet.

What the documentary lacks; or at least: what always remains in the back of mind is the Israeli side of the story. It seems clear where Sluizer’s alliance lies, and in fact a ‘balance’ is not necessarily required in such a portrait, but precisely with such a much-discussed subject, in such a globally controversial conflict, you can almost impossible to ignore. It is the elephant in the room that needs to be dealt with.

On the other hand, this was undoubtedly a conscious choice by Sluizer. He would later argue that these were films that just had to be made. The Palestinians deserved to at least have a (human) face. A little dignity. The two families felt the same way. Lucky as they were that they were not portrayed as illiterate, stupid or dirty people. In any case, Sluizer has succeeded in this.