********** English **********
A passionate portrait of four black trans* sex workers in New York and Georgia.
The protagonists discuss their lives with relish but without idealizing them.
The conversations that emerge are deep and funny reflections on socio-political
realities as well as insightful analyzes of belonging within the black community
and beyond. Captivating shots in black and white, accompanied by a well-kept
soundtrack. This vibrant portrait showcases provocative narratives that
challenge white and cis-heteronormative stigma.
********** Français **********
The film explores the lives of Daniella Carter, Dominique Silver, Koko Da Doll,
and Liyah Mitchell in New York and Georgia through interviews and re-enactments
with actors. During the film, the Carter, Silver, Doll, and Mitchell discuss
their experiences as Black trans women and as sex workers. Smith also interviews
Black men.
********** Nederlands **********
Een gepassioneerd portret van vier zwarte trans* sekswerkers in New York en
Georgia. De hoofdpersonen bespreken hun leven met plezier maar zonder het te
idealiseren. De gesprekken die ontstaan zijn diepe en grappige reflecties op de
sociaal-politieke realiteit en analyses van het erbij horen binnen de zwarte
gemeenschap en daarbuiten. Indrukwekkende opnames in zwart-wit, begeleid door
een hemelse soundtrack. Dit levendige portret toont provocerende verhalen die
witte en cis-heteronormatieve stigma's uitdagen.
Scéal Eile Irish Film Festival presents IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT
Description
From the makers of GAZA (Sundance 2019), comes a new cinematic odyssey that penetrates deep below the surface of Beirut, a still beautiful, yet deeply troubled city on the brink of financial collapse.
In Sabra, one of Beirut’s toughest urban slums, sectarianism and violence is a permanent way of life. Rabia, a 38-year-old hardworking but undocumented Lebanese mother cannot afford to admit her chronically ill daughter to hospital, leaving the life of her innocent child hanging in the balance.
In the Shadow of Beirut weaves four compelling storylines together in a searing portrait of a people and a city struggling to survive amidst some of the most difficult living conditions imaginable. In this failing state, it is the vulnerable who suffer most.
Through intimate, character driven and cinematic storytelling, the stark reality of life for the protagonists of the film is symbolic of the hundreds of thousands of others who fight for survival in the most diverse country in the Middle East, which has the highest per capita refugee numbers in the world. This is a nation suffering one of the worst global financial meltdowns on record, a country and a city that many now are trying desperately to flee.
Despite the inhumane conditions and enormous challenges, the areas’ inhabitants possess unfathomable reserves of resilience and even hope, as they go about their daily lives in the struggle to forge a brighter future for their families.