Feature Documentary, Lebanon / Germany

(87 Mins)

dir. Cyril Aris

Produced by:

Myriam Sassine / Abbout Productions (Lebanon),

Katharina Weser / Reynard Films (Germany),

LOGLINE

On August 4th 2020, an explosion hits the port of Beirut destroying a large part of Lebanon’s capital. Directly hit by the catastrophe, a Lebanese film crew decides to continue shooting their movie against all odds seeing it as an effort of resistance and survival in a nation struggling with economic turmoil and societal collapse. 

TRAILER

SYNOPSIS

On August 4th, 2020, the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut leaves a large part of the Lebanese capital in ruins. In the midst of the chaos, a troubled film crew faces an overwhelming decision: to continue the production of their movie or abandon it? As they face the aftermath of the catastrophe, they are torn between their firm belief in the transformative power of cinema and a deep sense of cynicism about its ability to effect change in a nation plagued by economic turmoil and societal collapse. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano chronicles their struggles and highlights the crew's resilience as they strive to find meaning and purpose in their work amidst the devastation.

FESTIVAL SELECTIONS

* 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Main Competition - Czech Republic, 2023 | WORLD PREMIERE

* 67th BFI London Film Festival, Documentary Competition - UK, 2023 | UK Premiere

* 22nd CPH DOX - Denmark, 2024

* 14th DOC NYC, International Competition - USA, 2023 | North American Premiere

* True/False Film Festival - Missouri, USA, 2024

* 50th Seattle International Film Festival - Washington, USA 2024

* 52nd Festival La Rochelle Cinéma - France 2024

* 50th Gent Film Festival - Belgium, 2023

* 45th Cinemed Film Festival Montpellier - France, 2023

* 64th Festival Dei Popoli - Italy, 2023

* 38th Mostra de Valencia, Informative Section - Spain, 2023

* 54th International Film Festival of India - India, 2023

* 20th Reykjavik International Film Festival - Iceland, 2023

* 29th MedFilm Festival in Rome - Italy, 2023

* 42nd Festival Cinéma d’Alès - France, 2024

* 25th Phoenix Film Festival - USA, 2024

* 20th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival - China, 2023

* 33rd St. Louis International Film Festival - USA, 2024

* 42nd International Film Festival of Uruguay - Uruguay, 2024

* 42nd International Festival of Films on Art, Montréal - Canada, 2024

* 33rd Message to Man International Film Festival - Russia, 2023

* 24th Arab Film Festival Rotterdam - Netherlands, 2024

* 28th Arab Film Festival - USA, 2024

* 23rd CINEMAMED – Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles - Belgium, 2023

* 39th Osnabrück Film Festival - Germany, 2024

* 20th Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival - Hungary, 2023

* 26th Encounters South Africa International Doc Film - South Africa, 2024

* 19th Doc Edge - New Zeland, 2024

* 16th This Human World – International Human Rights Film Festival Vienna - Austria, 2023

* 14th Lower East Side Film Festival - New York, USA 2024

* ANA Contemporary Arab Cinema - New York, USA 2024

* 22nd Festival CinéVadrouille - France, 2024

* 9th Nova Frontier Film Festival - New York, USA 2024

* 18th Mostra Mundo Arabe de Cinema - Sao Paolo, Brazil 2024

* 18th Panorama des Cinémas du Maghreb et du Moyen-Orient - France, 2024

* 16th Panorama of the European Film in Cairo - Egypt, 2024

* 25th Tempo Documentary Festival - Sweden, 2024

* 9th Muestra de Cine Francófono de Madrid - Spain, 2024

* 6th Beirut international women film festival - Lebanon, 2024 | NATIONAL PREMIERE

* 20th Arab Film Festival, Michigan - USA, 2024

* 20th Al Ard Film Festival, Sardinia - Italy, 2024

* 7th DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, Azerbaijan

* 13th San Diego Arab Film Festival, California - USA, 2024

* 20th Newburyport Documentary Film Festival - USA, 2024

* 19th Lemesos International Documentary Festival - Cyprus, 2024

* 13th Julien Dubuque International Film Festival - Iowa, USA 2024

* 16h Les Percéides Film Festival - Quebec, Canada, 2024

* 11th Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke - Canada, 2024

* 3rd Lebanese Film Festival in France - France, 2023

* 20th Filmfest für Kurz- und Dokumentarfilme auf Burg Klempenow - Germany, 2024

* 6th Joburg Film Festival - South Africa, 2024

* 6th EQUIS Festival de Cine Feminista de Ecuador - Ecuador, 2024

* 10th Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, Vermont - USA, 2024

* 9th Festival de Cinéma Zones Portuaires - France, 2024

* 8th Ocean City Film Festival, Maryland - USA, 2024

* 6th Perugia Social Film Festival - Italy, 2024

* 13th HumanDOC - Poland, 2024

* 13th EU Human Rights Film Days - Turkey, 2024

* Music & Cinema Marseille - France, 2024

* Unseen Nairobi - Kenya, 2024

* Apricot Tree Film Festival - Armenia, 2024

* Arabisk FIlmfest - Norway, 2024

* Jakarta Film Week - Indonesia, 2024

* Docu.emme of Merano - Italy, 2024

* MedFilm Festival in Morocco - Morocco, 2024

* Nation Station Beirut - Lebanon, 2024

* Festival International Du cinema indépendant Casablanca - Morocco, 2024

* Lane Doc Fest - USA, 2024

* Fundación Araguaney - Spain, 2024

AWARDS

* Special Jury Mention at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic, 2023

* Audience Award at the Mostra de Valencia, Spain, 2023

* Audience Award at the Festival Dei Popoli, Italy, 2023

* Best Film Award at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023

* Best Director at the Arab Film Festival of Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2024

* Best Film Award at Music & Cinema Marseille, France 2024

* Best Documentary Film at the Arab Film Festival, USA 2024

* Best Documentary Film at the Beirut Women International Film Festival, Lebanon 2024

* Piuculture Award for Best Film at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023

* University Jury Award for Best Film at the MedFilm Festival, Italy 2023

* Special Jury Mention at the Cinemed Film Festival, France, 2023

* Main Prize (Viewfinder competition) at the Verzio International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Hungary 2023

* Makinavaja Prize for Best Documentary at the Mostra de Cinema Àrab i Mediterrani de Catalunya, Spain 2024

* David Kleiler Cinephile Award at the 20th Newburyport Documentary Film Festival, USA, 2024

* Jury Prize at the DokuBaku International Documentary Film Festival, Azerbaijan, 2023

THEATRICAL RELEASES

* Bertha Doc House, London, 4 - 16 May 2024

* Cinema Akil, Dubai, 10 - 30 May 2024

* France - September - December 2024

* Cinelux Geneva, Switzerland - 25 September - 9 October 2024

LABS & MARKETS

* Recipient of a post-production grant from the Sundance Institute, USA 2021

* Recipient of a development grant at the Bosch Film Prize, Berlin 2020

* Recipient of a grant from the Kulturstiftung des Freistaates Sachsen, Germany 2022

* Recipient of a grant from the SLM, Germany 2022

* Recipient of a grant from the International Media Support, Denmark 2022

_____________________________________________________________________________________

* Selected at the Sheffield Doc Fest MeetMarket, UK 2021

* Selected at the DOK Leipzig work-in-progress, Germany 2021

* Selected at the 36th Dok. Munich Pitching Competition, Germany 2021