Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2008, BEAUFORT tells the true story of LIRAZ LIBERTI (Oshri Cohen), a barely-of-age Israeli outpost commander, and his troops, who are left to defend the mythological 12th Century Crusader fort of BEAUFORT prior to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
Under a relentless aerial bombardment of Hezbollah rockets, Liraz's authority is challenged on both sides: by strained soldiers who increasingly become weary of their mission's purpose and uncooperative superiors. The agony ends when Liraz gets the final order to evacuate and the famed Beaufort outpost is blown to pieces with six tons of explosives. Rather than deliver a political commentary on the Middle East, BEAUFORT offers a rare insight into the human reality behind the tough exterior shell of the Israeli Defence Force.