A Frown Gone Mad

Botox, Revolax, Sculptra, Hyaron and Juvederm: all sorts of products, perhaps not all entirely legal, sell like hot cakes in Bouba’s Lebanese beauty salon. Skilfully, though not always gently, she jabs a constant stream of clients with all kinds of injectables to temporarily reduce their facial wrinkles and frown lines. 

Director Omar Mismar films the patients from a fixed position as they recline on the white plastic-wrapped treatment table. Young and old, women and men, from housewives to hip influencers, it seems like the whole country is voluntarily undergoing these painful and gory treatments, all of which are shown in closeup. 

During the treatment, the threat of war is a regular topic. Will war break out? Will you go and fight? Mixedup memories of wars and explosions reveal how violence has been an almost constant presence in the lives of Beirut’s inhabitants for decades. 

Bouba’s medicine is rough humour and a magic injection. As one customer aptly puts it: “Most people in line here are tired and unhappy. Bouba takes the pain from inside and works on it from the outside.” 

The screening will open with an extended introduction by a Glasgow-based artist.

Curated by Huss.

Click here to book your ticket for this event.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20, in order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest! Please find the ‘What Should I Pay?’ guidance here.

Accessibility

This event has:

• English-BSL interpretation for the introduction. The interpreter for this event is TBC.
• Arabic audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles.
• Live Captioning for the introduction.
• An induction loop is available at the GFT Box Office. Enhanced Audio (EA) is available in their screening rooms via headset.
• Content notes: Depiction of mild blood, needles. Discussion of beauty standards, bombing, illegal israel occupation, war.

This screening is 111 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+

If you require access seating please get in touch. Access seating includes: wheelchair spaces, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing [email protected] with your name, ticket information and access request. We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of  the venue. Thank you for working with us on this. 

You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2026 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

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Supported by Screen Scotland, the BFI Audience Projects Fund and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.

Image Credit: A Frown Gone Mad, Dir. Omar Mismar, 2024