2015 Winners & Shortlists

Brief Explanation

The film follows the story of our hero, or rather anti-hero, who’s trying to buy his way out of a governmental administrative procedure at a corner shop named ‘Lebanon4Sale’ where everything is for sale, even you. Impatiently he bribes the shop owner’s assistant to avoid the long cue and complete his task. Despite his best corrupt efforts he’s always interrupted by other customers up until he blows up in front of the shop owner while the latter is completing a deal with a prominent politician. The story doesn’t end well for our anti-hero as he ends up being sold to the politician as a result of the vicious cycle of corruption.Casting was key to give the film a sense of realism, most of the people that were cast for the roles had no acting experience and didn't need it as they came simply played the situations they face in their day to day.

Creative Execution

Corruption in Lebanon is everywhere. It lives in an economy of its own feeding on everything; and as a result, the fight against it seems hopeless. But the truth is, corruption acts exactly like a private business: The more you buy from it, the more it grows. And so we wanted corruption to go Bankrupt. Corner shops in Lebanon are not only part of the folklore of the country but are known to provide more than the usual merchandise and services you’d usually look for. For example, in some of the more shady establishments you could pay off your electricity bills (which should normally be done at designated official institutions). The mercantile nature of corruption in Lebanon made the corner shop a culturally relevant symbol to use in our campaign.