Yara 7/10

Yara is a character-driven tale that narrates an epic summertime love story filled with both hope and heartache. 

The movie centers around Yara whom lives alone with her grandmother in an isolated valley, most of whose inhabitants have died or emigrated abroad. One day, Yara meets a young stranger as he will change her world infinitely.

You see, there’s a certain magic in Yara’s narrative that keeps one literally interested till the very end. In other words, Abbas Fahdel really knew how to create a hypnotic universe where young love and heartache exists simultaneously and in complete harmony.

And that’s not just it, the story also contained impeccable life messages that I believe everyone could relate to. While some of these messages were clear right from the beginning, others were slightly vague and ambiguous. This is largely due to the fact that this film, as simple as it is, is filled with interesting metaphors that requires a bit of analysis and some thinking.

Michelle Wehbe (won Best Young Actor at the Locarno Film Festival for this particular role) and Elias Freifer’s sensual chemistry and special bond is absolutely heartwarming. They both truly delivered strong performances. More specifically, Michelle’s interpretation of Yara is spot on and award-worthy.

The eye-popping sceneries and idyllic location also played a major role in creating a soothing vibe that goes perfectly with Yara’s story and Director Fahdel’s vision.

Honestly, if you are looking for a light movie with an interesting story to watch and have a great time, I highly recommend Yara.

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