Beirut:Eye of the Storm
Beirut fi Ain Al-Assif
Beirut fi Ain Al-Assif
Lebanon, France/2021/75:00/Arabic
Four young women artists in Beirut document a turbulent period in Lebanese history, from the momentous October 2019 uprising against the ruling regime to the subsequent lockdown and then, just months later, the massive explosion at the port.
Noel and Michelle are two multi-talented sisters whose avant-guard songs have made them the voice of their generation. Hanine is a cutting-edge journalist whose in depth outlook defies her young age and takes us into another side of Lebanon we rarely see. Lujain is a fearless Iraqi camerawoman who has a unique insight into the Lebanese uprising and its connections to the Arab Spring.
The prevailing mood is one of hope and change. But a few months later, Covid-19 has locked down the city, and all optimism evaporates with the devastating explosion in Beirut’s port. Will the young women be able to hold onto their dream of a new Lebanon?
Director Mai Masri
Mai Masri is an award-winning Palestinian filmmaker based in Beirut. She studied film at San Francisco State University (USA) and directed several films that were screened worldwide and won over 90 international awards. Her feature narrative film, 3000 Nights (2015) had its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, and won 28 awards. Mai’s filmography includes Children of Fire (1990), Hanan Ashrawi (1995), Children of Shatila (1998), Frontiers of Dreams and Fears (2001), Beirut Diaries (2006), and 33 Days (2007). She also co-directed with her husband Jean Chamoun, Under the Rubble (1983), Wild Flowers (1986), War Generation – Beirut (1988), and Suspended Dreams (1992).
