Talaeen a Junuub (Up to the South)

An oblique, albeit powerful documentary that examines the current conditions, politics, and economics of South Lebanon. The tape focuses on the social, intellectual, and popular resistance to the Israeli occupation, as well as conceptions of "the land" and culture, and the imperiled identities of the Lebanese people. Simultaneously, the tape self-consciously engages in a critique of the documentary genre and its traditions.

"This documentary represents a new trend in artistic creativity in the Arab World. It sets new standards for political documentaries covering political turmoil in the region. Not ones to use cliches and ideological dogmas, these young artists approach the subject of South Lebanon with sensitivity and political maturity. They avoid the heavy political propagation which is evident in movies of this kind. They let the people (refreshingly not only males, but men and women) speak and they let them speak in the diversity of their roles and lifestyles. This documentary is recommended for the experts and for the novices. Those who know and those who want to know about the subject matter will learn from this documentary."

—As’ad Abu Khalil, Assistant Professor Political Science, California State University, Stanislaus/Research Fellow, UC Berkeley

French subtitled version available.