Film Review: “12 Angry Lebanese” - Zeina Daccache
Based on an adaptation of Reginald Rose’s “12 Angry Men” comes the play entitled “12 Angry Lebanese” acted out by the inmates of the notorious Roumieh prison, Zeina “Iso” Daccache style.
A total of 40 inmates brought together regardless of race, crime, age, color and creed participate in the project bringing – alongside the interpretation of the courtroom drama – live original music, comedy sketches, personal testimonies and even a dance number to the audience very closely surrounding them, within the prison walls.
As an inmate mentions during the opening monologue, no one can appreciate freedom as well as the prisoners can, and for the first time in the Arab world, this fortunate group of prisoners are able to communicate their frustration, remorse, the life lessons they’ve learned and even their talent to the world.
In a wonderful effort to transport the theater to these convicted men as a form of therapy and release, the project brings appreciation to the human value of these individuals, regardless of the life choices they’ve made.
The inmates’ interpretation of the 12 men deciding on the innocence or guilt of a 19-year-old boy convicted of murder and sentenced to death is nothing short of breathtaking. For brief moments we are taken by the reality of the play only to be reminded of the reality of the “actors” through the intertwining sketches, which is as ironic as it is impressive – Definitely an experiment gone right.
Diane Farah
