Status Quo

Boushra, one of the potato-picking girls, returns from a long day of work in the field only to learn that today her childhood will come to an end.

A boy with extraordinary powers lives with his uncle in a Lebanese village where the noise of warplanes is a daily occurrence. As his uncle tries to train him to appear “normal”, the boy’s gift becomes impossible to contain.

In today's Beirut, different characters with unique stories navigate their lives without fully realizing their true desires, which contradict their status quo. As a result, their joy of living becomes a distant dream that feels increasingly unattainable.

A man riding his motorcycle in the streets of Beirut, is tailed by a dozen of other motorcycles. Afraid, he escapes the gang and locks himself in his apartment. A young women dressed in a fancy black outfit, holding a wooden box in her hands is at his door. Without exchanging words, she handles him the box. Inside the box is an 8mm camera, enrolled in a purple velvet tissue. After looking at it closely, and holding it like if he is holding a gun, he puts it back on the table next to his real gun. He hears the roar of motorcycles under his building. He cannot hide anymore. Rushed, he takes the 8mm camera instead of the gun and goes down to meet the gangsters... That 8mm camera will save his life...

This feature documentary tells the stories of 5 asylum seekers who flee their native countries to escape homophobic violence. They face hurdles integrating into Canada, fear deportation and anxiously await a decision that will change their lives forever.

In the Lebanese wintery wilderness, a mini-van arrives. Two men get off the van into the cold forest and set off on their quest. The tall trees and the grey sky are their witnesses. Armored with a shovel, a rope, and an axe, they soon arrive at their destination: a lonely verdant tree amid the naked forest.

Embracing the moment when a lifechanging decision is made. Pouring of feelings that bring all your demons to the surface, and never leave you till you gather all your senses and take the leap. Tailpiece, is the part a writer adds to the end of a story... the part you add to an end of a life cycle.