After the End of the World (2022)

"Man plans, God laughs."

This quote can sum up an underlying sentiment in this movie. Humans wouldn't last this long if it weren't for hope of a better future. It is like a candle that can light a cave no matter how dimly. If that weren’t the case, After the End of the World would have no rubble to uncover and work with. The stunning cinematography, the incredible sound design, and the score embedded in the narrative structure make this an immersive watch that takes us on a journey into the director’s world. Nadim Mishlawi has an inquisitive mind that has put various pieces of Beirut's mysterious and shapeshifting identity into a mosaic in this movie. What began as a documentary on Beirut's architecture evolved into a memoir-like historical document with the narrative driven by his personal experiences throughout decades of living, on and off, in Beirut.

This experimental documentary laser-scans Beirut from multiple dimensions with drone shots and on-the-ground camera work. From building rooftops to car windows, every nook and cranny of the city is a vantage point to obtain a more complete picture. Nadim Mishlawi takes an abstract look at the state, history, and fate of Beirut. He portrays the ups and downs of the ancient gem of the Levant in an eerie light with scattered flashes of hope. The evident peril and nostalgic reminiscence are constantly interchanging themes throughout the movie. After the End of the World is a retrospective and philosophical inquisition that repeatedly asks "What's next?" and "What must be done?." It aims to answer those through the many interviewed witnesses who can say a lot about Beirut. But who knows really? It is one of the complicated mysteries that may have no closure or conclusive explanation.

Nadim Mishlawi takes us on a stroll down memory lane through his eyes, tracing the instability of the Middle East beyond the Arab Spring, back to the Lebanese Civil War of 1975. The story is also a very introspective look at how disorienting and unsettling the unpredictability of Beirut's course is. We explore the resurgence of modern Beirut and how quickly that was rattled. We also get sneak peeks of what it could’ve been had some things gone according to plan. The topics of identity, hope, memory, and vision are presented in a mentally captivating way. The narrative tries to avoid taking sides but leads us to various indicators that point the same way. After the End of the World has an ominous, investigative mood, as if we were examining the death of Beirut before and after it takes place simultaneously. Nadim Mishlawi paints a very sobering picture of the current reality of Beirut and almost predicts the August 4, 2020, explosion. The tragedy, which happened during the production but still made its way in as an epilogue, marks the final blow of destruction to Beirut.