05/08/2026
August 4, 2020, remains a deeply traumatic date for every Lebanese person.
235 people killed. More than 7,000 injured. Entire neighbourhoods destroyed. Thousands of lives turned upside down.
Six years later, the pain remains as intense as ever, while the victims’ families are still waiting for justice to be served.
L’Orient-Le Jour felt a duty to examine what led to the twin explosions, distinguish fact from fiction, and bring together the pieces of a puzzle that remains incomplete.
Months of work culminated in the documentary film August 4, 2020: Anatomy of a Foretold Catastrophe, directed by Lucile Wassermann and edited by Jad Abou Jaoudé.
It is being broadcast this week on Canadian television and on the German channel Deutsche Welle.
In Beirut, the documentary will be shown at Cinema Metropolis on August 6 and 7 at 6:00 p.m., in two special screenings. Watching it on the big screen, facing the port, is an unforgettable experience.
You can also watch it on L’Orient-Le Jour’s YouTube channel here:
https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1543367/explosion-du-port-de-beyrouth-anatomie-dune-catastrophe-annoncee.html
A film driven by the pursuit of truth, the refusal to forget, and the fight against impunity.