Karim Kassem

Vivant depuis quelques années à New York, Karim Kassem entreprend un voyage en direction de Beyrouth. Ce retour à la terre natale ne se fait pas sans heurts. À la difficulté d’appréhender à nouveau le territoire s’ajoute une maladie chronique, le rendant temporairement aveugle. Dans les dédales de la ville, le cinéaste renoue avec certaines relations et les interroge sur la situation politique actuelle du pays

Traffic rushes by as if nothing has happened. But beside the road, the rubble is smoldering, and firefighting helicopters are circling overhead. Ten minutes in, this is the first specific image we see of the devastating explosion that took place on 4 August 2020 at the Port of Beirut. Until this point, its presence in the film has been indirect—a man smoking beside a broken window, the distant sounds of ships’ horns and sirens.

In a village outside of Beirut, amidst scrap metal, chickens and goats, the quiet Fouad runs a mechanic’s garage with a detached but soothing presence. His customers, both old and young, are invited to sit and drink coffee while they wait for their vehicles to be repaired. In these moments of stillness, the garage becomes a haven for people to express their growing despair amidst the economic collapse that surrounds them. No jobs. Sleepless nights. The burden of school tuition. No one is safe. As the darkness closes in, Fouad must undertake a deeply symbolic, transcendent journey through his own psyche: a search for the other side.

In a village outside of Beirut, amidst scrap metal, chickens and goats, the quiet Fouad runs a mechanic’s garage with a detached but soothing presence. His customers, both old and young, are invited to sit and drink coffee while they wait for their vehicles to be repaired. In these moments of stillness, the garage becomes a haven for people to express their growing despair amidst the economic collapse that surrounds them. No jobs. Sleepless nights. The burden of school tuition. No one is safe. As the darkness closes in, Fouad must undertake a deeply symbolic, transcendent journey through his own psyche: a search for the other side.

In a village outside of Beirut, amidst scrap metal, chickens and goats, the quiet Fouad runs a mechanic’s garage with a detached but soothing presence. His customers, both old and young, are invited to sit and drink coffee while they wait for their vehicles to be repaired. In these moments of stillness, the garage becomes a haven for people to express their growing despair amidst the economic collapse that surrounds them. No jobs. Sleepless nights. The burden of school tuition. No one is safe. As the darkness closes in, Fouad must undertake a deeply symbolic, transcendent journey through his own psyche: a search for the other side.

The harvest is in, but the abnormal drought is causing water issues in the village. A play is held annually and this year, the title is "Departures".

The harvest is in, but the abnormal drought is causing water issues in the village. A play is held annually and this year, the title is "Departures".

The harvest is in, but the abnormal drought is causing water issues in the village. A play is held annually and this year, the title is "Departures".

The harvest is in, but the abnormal drought is causing water issues in the village. A play is held annually and this year, the title is "Departures".