In The Sky Is Not Always Above, Beirut’s southern suburbs, notorious as a staunch Hezbollah stronghold, are at once a high-security zone, a site of exception vis-a-vis the writ of Lebanese government, and a recurring target for the Israeli army’s warplanes. Shot after the devastating Israeli war in July 2006, Soueid unearths the winding paths of the district’s rich and forgotten history. And during the captivating journey, he crafts an understated homage to John Ford.
