Talal Khoury

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.

12-летний Амра живёт с родителями и младшей сестрой в общине монгольских кочевников. Его детство — вручную собранный кабриолет отца, сыр на продажу, школа и YouTube с подвисающей картинкой. Амра мечтает попасть на монгольскую «Минуту славы», но вскоре ему приходится резко повзрослеть. К самому дому мальчика подбирается международная добывающая компания, которая рушит не только степи, но и жизни людей.

'Chaos' narrates the story of three women in three different cities. They have given up on life. One lives in Damascus. She has stopped speaking to others entirely, isolating herself in her flat. The other has left Damascus as a result of the war and went to Sweden, where she imprisons herself in her paintings, hoping through them to rid herself of the torments of the past. The third ended up in Vienna and faces an unknown future, like the ghost of a woman who fled Austria after the Second World War. It is a discussion between a woman stuck in Damascus, a second stuck in exile, and a third who has recently left. It is a conversation between the interior and exterior – an impossible conversation.

Panoptic explores Lebanon's schizophrenia. Depicting a nation thriving for modernity while ignoring the vices preventing it from achieving its goal, director Rana Eid examines this paradox through sound, iconic monuments and secret hideouts.

In the midst of a boiling Middle East, while the Lebanese borders are under constant terrorist attacks, a Beiruti couple is battling their midnight anxiety.

The story of the women of Ein El Hilweh refugee camp between 1982-1984 is an important chapter in the history of Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon. After the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, the camp was destroyed and its men imprisoned. “The Kingdom of Women” documents the community and organizing spirit of the women during this period, how they were able to rebuild the camp, protect and provide for their families while their men were held captive. Weaving between past and present, animation and daily life, the documentary focuses on seven of these women and honors how women continue to contribute to the survival of the Palestinian community in exile.

It takes four to six minutes for a human to drown. Talal Khoury's film immerses us in the waters of the Mediterranean for this same duration, asking us to meditate on those who've been lost at sea seeking a better life.