Beirut Shorts x ISFFC
11/10, Sunday, 17:30, Rialto Theatre On Stage
Separated by just 245 kilometres, Beirut and Limassol share a proximity that is geographical, cultural and deeply felt. Building on a longstanding relationship between our two festivals, this programme explores the complex political and social fabric of Lebanon, touching on questions and realities that resonate particularly strongly in Cyprus. Three short films and a live film performance open out from intimate experience onto the city itself.
Curated by Nicolas Khabbaz. The screenings will be followed by a discussion.
Warsha
Dania Bdeir
16’, 2021, France, Lebanon
Synopsis
A crane operator in Beirut volunteers to cover a shift on one of the most dangerous cranes, where he is able to find his freedom.
Sea Salt
Leila Basma
19’, 2023, Czech Republic, Lebanon, Qatar
Synopsis
On this hot summer day on the southern seaside of Lebanon, 17-year-old Nayla is faced with the same dilemma every Lebanese youngster is faced with today – to leave or to stay. Two men in her life have set ideas about it, but both might wake up to a surprise.
Shame
Hadi Moussally
5’, 2024, Lebanon, France, Spain
Synopsis
In the 19th century in the Levant, Salma Zahore, along with her parents and neighbours, participated in a photoshoot using a long-exposure technique. At the end of it, Salma decided to take off her coat, revealing her body. Unaware of the chaos this gesture could cause within her circle, she did not know it could lead to shame.
Chasing Depth on Even Skies screening & performance
Rita Mahfouz
40’, 2024, Lebanon
Synopsis
A film drawing from footage filmed across Beirut, documenting shattered windows and their replacement by opaque panels. Through the filmmaker’s sustained observation of these surfaces, she considers the window as a political frame, and how they came to reflect the city’s multiple crises, where transparency becomes opacity and depth collapses into surface.
