by Alex Billington
June 19, 2026
Source: YouTube
“From Beirut all the way to the stars!” Watermelon Pictures has released their own official US trailer for the indie drama titled A Sad and Beautiful World, a Lebanese love story from Beirut spanning three full decades. It’s finally getting a US release in art house theaters in July this summer – we also posted another trailer last year. A story of connection and hope and love amidst a changing, dangerous modern world. Set in Beirut, the film follows childhood sweethearts Nino (Hasan Akil) and Yasmina (Mounia Akl), who had lost sight of one another for a while, reuniting many years later in their 20s against the backdrop of political turmoil and social collapse in present-day Lebanon. Across three decades of passion, loss, and hope, Nino and Yasmina are bound by a magnetic relationship. Torn between love & survival, they must decide whether to build a family and seek happiness in Lebanon, or leave their home, amid the country’s many tragedies. From director Cyril Aris, this powerful indie film stars Mounia Akl and Hasan Akil, with Julia Kassar, Camille Salameh, Tino Karam, and Nadyn Chalhoub. I like the other trailer more because it features the stunning cinematography –nonetheless, this looks like a worthwhile release to catch on the big screen.
Here’s the final US trailer (+ poster) for Cyril Aris’ film A Sad and Beautiful World, from YouTube:
You can rewatch the first trailer for Aris’ A Sad and Beautiful World film right here for more footage.
On Lebanon’s darkest day, Nino & Yasmina are born seconds apart. Enigmatic star-watcher Zachariya foresees a cosmic event connected to their lives. As children, Nino & Yasmina share a deep understanding of each other’s struggles, forming an unbreakable bond. Yasmina offers Nino an escape from Beirut’s harsh reality, but the plan fails and they are separated. Twenty-four years later, cosmic forces reunite them and they fall deeply in love. Despite her plan to emigrate, Yasmina remains in Lebanon, swept away by love. When Yasmina becomes pregnant, her cynicism makes her hesitant to keep the child, even though Nino longs for one. Eventually, she comes to realize that Nino is the man with whom she wants to build a family. Years later, their daughter Amal brings them new life but, as Beirut falls apart, their divergent ambitions for Amal’s future threaten to tear them apart, all the while the skies erupt in a surreal spectacle.
A Sad and Beautiful World, also known as نجوم الأمل و الألم in Arabic, is both written and directed by Lebanese filmmaker Cyril Aris, director of the films The Swing and Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano, as well as many other shorts. Co-written by Bane Fakih. Produced by Jennifer Goyne Blake, Georg Neubert, Georges Schoucair, April Shih. This initially premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival last year, and also screened at the 2024 Marrakesh Film Festival in Morocco. Opens in select US theaters starting on July 24th, 2026.
