Plot summary

In modern Lebanon--against the backdrop of delicate equilibria, frail ethnic and religious amalgamations, and the flaming scars of a devastating fifteen-year-long civil war--an otherwise trifling matter between two men, Tony, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, gets rapidly blown out of proportion. Before long, a hot-headed act of impropriety, paired with a vain effort at reconciliation and a sincere apology that never came, will prepare the ground for a fierce showdown in court, gradually escalating into a conflict of nationwide proportions. However, what was the insult in the first place?—Nick Riganas