Abstract
In 1974, on the eve of the Lebanese civil war, the northern city of Tripoli no longer looks like the prestigious and prosperous hub for Middle Eastern trade which it had been for centuries. Many of its most beautiful quarters are now a refuge for an increasingly impoverished population and insurgent groups start roaming the city, recruiting dozens of young men who are so disenfranchised by the state’s neglect that they are ready to rebel. Protest ideologies like Marxism or Islamism begin to spread in the slums of Tripoli.
Enter a coalition of gangsters called “the Outlaws”. They’re a gang of criminals, not a rebel group, yet they start gaining attention by calling on the impoverished population to join their group in order to protest against the state and to create new power structures. Within a matter of months, hundreds of locals in Tripoli joined the gang and, together, created the “Republic of the Outlaws” – a mini-criminal state with a president, ministers and soldiers. The Republic broke away from Lebanon and became its own criminal state for nine months.
This film tells the true story of the rise and fall of the “Republic of the Outlaws”. It is inspired by Raphaël Lefèvre’s award-winning book, Jihad In The City. It is based on more than a dozen filmed interviews with former officials in the “Republic of the Outlaws” who used to be criminals, as well as with older residents of Tripoli who recall this period of time, and a local sociologist who adds local and national context. It is also based on a trove of archives from Lebanese newspapers as well as footage both archival and contemporary of Tripoli.
Enter a coalition of gangsters called “the Outlaws”. They’re a gang of criminals, not a rebel group, yet they start gaining attention by calling on the impoverished population to join their group in order to protest against the state and to create new power structures. Within a matter of months, hundreds of locals in Tripoli joined the gang and, together, created the “Republic of the Outlaws” – a mini-criminal state with a president, ministers and soldiers. The Republic broke away from Lebanon and became its own criminal state for nine months.
This film tells the true story of the rise and fall of the “Republic of the Outlaws”. It is inspired by Raphaël Lefèvre’s award-winning book, Jihad In The City. It is based on more than a dozen filmed interviews with former officials in the “Republic of the Outlaws” who used to be criminals, as well as with older residents of Tripoli who recall this period of time, and a local sociologist who adds local and national context. It is also based on a trove of archives from Lebanese newspapers as well as footage both archival and contemporary of Tripoli.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
