Costa Brava, Lebanon

Main Plot

"Costa Brava, Lebanon," directed by Mounia Akl, is a compelling drama that unfolds in a near-future Lebanon. The film follows the free-spirited Badri family who, seeking refuge from the pollution and unrest in Beirut, relocate to the serene mountains of Lebanon. They establish a seemingly idyllic life in their utopian home, embracing a sustainable lifestyle away from the chaos of the city. However, their peace is abruptly disrupted when the government decides to build a landfill right beside their home. The looming environmental threat not only challenges the purity of their sanctuary but also tests the family's bonds and resilience. As they confront corrupt political forces and face personal dilemmas, the Badris are compelled to take a stand. Through its narrative, the film explores themes of environmental activism, family unity, and the broader socio-political issues plaguing contemporary Lebanon, encapsulating the struggle between preserving natural beauty and the harsh realities of modernization and governance.

Characters

• Nadine Labaki plays Soraya, a mother striving to protect her family's secluded, eco-friendly lifestyle amidst external threats and internal tensions.
• Saleh Bakri plays Walid, a father who moves his family to the mountains to escape Beirut's pollution, but faces new challenges when a landfill is built nearby.
• Yumna Marwan plays Tala, a member of a family seeking peace in the mountains, whose life is disrupted by external environmental and political threats.

Ending Explained

In the ending of "Costa Brava, Lebanon," directed by Mounia Akl, the free-spirited Badri family faces the culmination of their struggles against external pressures and internal conflicts. The family, who had moved to a remote mountain area to escape the pollution and chaos of Beirut, finds their peace shattered by the government's decision to build a landfill right next to their home. Throughout the film, the landfill serves as a metaphor for the corruption and decay in Lebanese society, encroaching on the family’s idyllic retreat. As the movie concludes, the family's matriarch, Soraya, who had been the most resistant to leaving their sanctuary, ultimately decides that they cannot continue to live next to the toxic landfill. This decision comes after a series of personal and collective crises, including health issues caused by the landfill and escalating tensions within the family. The conclusion sees the family packing their belongings to leave, symbolizing their defeat and disillusionment but also a pragmatic acceptance of their inability to change the system alone. The film ends on a poignant note, highlighting the broader theme of the struggle between individual desires and the harsh realities of societal and environmental challenges.