The First Lebanese Series on Netflix: An Aggravating Disgrace
SPOILER ALERT
Al-Hayba premiered on Netflix in September 2018. Here’s an excerpt from the summary on IMDB:
“The tale of a coherent and noble family, whose secrets and conflicts are revealed through a newcomer, a stranger, but who becomes, with time, a pillar in the family home.”
As a Canadian woman of similar background, I had mixed feelings about the show. At first, it was refreshing to see the first Lebanese TV Series with subtitles in several languages, premier on Netflix.
Nadine Nassib Njeim plays the role of the first protagonist, the Canadian (Alia) of Lebanese origin. Alia is visiting Lebanon, to bury her recently deceased husband, meeting his family for the first time.
It’s all downhill from there.
Alia and her son are imprisoned and held captive by her late husband’s family, by the orders of her mother in law. The highly revered character and second protagonist (Jabal) played by Taim Hasan, is ordered to marry his late brother’s wife, to keep her and her son in Lebanon and in the family.
The Canadian Alia is full of Canadian values at first. She refuses their attempts to keep her against her will. She also refuses the values they…
