Love Story ‘A Sad & Beautiful World’ Trailer Spanning Three Decades

by Alex Billington
November 26, 2025
Source: YouTube

“Hold on tight, the train is moving…” Paradise City Sales has debuted their official promo trailer for A Sad and Beautiful World, a Lebanese film set in Beirut about a love story spanning three decades. 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 and survival, they must decide whether to build a family and seek happiness in Lebanon, or leave their home, amid the country’s unfolding tragedies. From director Cyril Aris, the film stars Mounia Akl and Hasan Akil, with Julia Kassar, Camille Salameh, Tino Karam, and Nadyn Chalhoub. This looks gorgeous – not only their love but the cinematography of Beirut, how it has changed over years, and their romance manifesting within vivid colors & moments. Definitely worth a look.

Here’s the promo trailer (+ poster) for Cyril Aris’ film A Sad and Beautiful World, from YouTube:

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. No US release date is set yet – stay tuned for more updates.

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