Walzing with Bashir

Today's history lesson, and potential Oscar nom, is brought to you by this article from BBC News.

I must confess that I am not much of a "history person". Granted, I find certain eras of history more interesting than others, and I'm known do extracurricular research when something really catches my attention... but for the most part, important dates and notches on a timeline slip away from me like mud through a sieve (some of it stays, but not nearly enough). So don't be too surprised when I say I knew nothing about the Lebanese Civil War before today.
Apparently, it was bad. Very bad. I have no word strong enough to describe the horrible slaughter that this "civil" war brought. And that was before everyone started switching sides.

And now, they're making a movie about it.

Um.

Would it be too morbid if I said I wanted to see it?

Regardless, someone thought it was good. It made the nine-entry pre-pre-shortlist of the Foreign Films for this year's Oscars. If it was narrowed down from sixty-something other movies, I'd like to think there was something redeeming about it. (Then again, Pan's Labyrinth didn't get Best Picture last year... so maybe there's something wacked about the judging process. I hope not.)

This could bring up an entire debate about whether war movies should even be made. One country's suffering as another's entertainment sounds very distasteful, indeed. Then again, if the film is meant to depict exactly how horrifying the Lebanese Civil War truly was, maybe it can help more than it hurts.

In any case, I'll be scouring the Foreign Film section of Blockbuster for this one.