What should have been a trivial altercation, quickly settled and forgotten, instead propels two men to the center of a politically charged scandal in Lebanon—one that reopens historical and political wounds on both sides.

When Yasser, a Palestinian refugee and building foreman, and Tony, a Christian nationalist and auto mechanic, go head to head after a misunderstanding involving a drainpipe on Tony’s balcony, Yasser utters an insult Tony cannot forgive. The events immediately following result in the two stubborn men facing off in court where, fueled by the media and a famous right-wing Christian lawyer, old wounds and unresolved tension threaten to divide a nation.

With superb performances by Adel Karam and Kamel El Basha, director Ziad Doueiri’s newest offering is a fast-paced, timely and smart film that interjects humor into a very real debate that, though set in Beirut, will be all too recognizable to American audiences.

In competition for the FIPRESCI Prize.