Beirut 1990: Snapshots of a Civil War; Sylvain & Bruno Ricard, Christophe Gaultier

 

Beirut 1990: Snapshots of a Civil War was recently released here in a translated version (from France) by Humanoids and it is the account of the few weeks brothers Sylvain and Bruno Ricard spent in Beirut to offer assistance (mostly helping in hospitals) in that war-torn country back in 1990.

 I'm going to be honest and admit that when ever I hear news from this part of the world it sounds like the same thing has been going on since as long as I can remember and my mind goes into a glaze because what's happening there is so far removed from my world / life experiences. I really am happy for the existence of Beirut 1990: Snapshots of a Civil War because through Syvain and Bruno's experiences, I get a better understanding / frame of context than I do from whatever I hear on the news.

Why would anyone who doesn't live there want to go there and subject yourself to the craziness going on there? As Sylvain and Bruno show, it's all about connecting with people and trying to help and understand that the divisions between them and us really aren't that great. While Beirut today doesn't seem much different, Beirut 1990: Snapshots of a Civil War, does show that people still have hope, love and humor in their lives there. This is about as enjoyable and accessible of a look at this region that I can think of (and though that may sound guarded, Beirut 1990: Snapshots of a Civil War is a graphic novel I'd highly recommend!).