North American Premiere
Unfolding like a nocturnal film poem, The Sea and Its Waves follows a brother and sister as they make their way through an almost vacant Beirut, biding time until they can catch a boat out of the country to reunite with the brother’s bride waiting for them in Norway. Over the course of the night, they encounter a series of mysterious locals roaming the streets, each revealing a slice of cultural context that speaks to the greater socioeconomic malaise. Yet the cryptic exchanges are infused with a lyrical cadence that seduces with its prophetic allure. Liana & Renaud’s atmospheric feature debut is a loving ode to Beirut, adopting the language of transcendental cinema to capture a sense of deep collective wounding. Bathed in moonlight and flickering city lights, it is a visually arresting piece that weaves thoughtfully composed observational sequences with pointed surrealist touches and unexpected musical flourishes echoing haunting regional melodies.
Presented by
Roger Assaf, Hanane Hajj-Ali, Mays Mustafa, Mohammed Ammari, Sasseen Kawzali
Lebanon/France
2023
Vanguard
In Arabic with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Mathieu Mullier-Griffiths, Alexandre Singer
Screenwriter
Liana Kassir, Renaud Pachot
Cinematography
Mark Khalife
Editor
Chaghig Arzoumanian
Original Music
Zeid Hamdan, Mohamed Al Ammari
Art Director
Cynthia Tannous
Directors
Liana Kassir & Renaud Pachot
Liana Kassir grew up in Beirut, Renaud Pachot in the French countryside. Raised in the early years of 2000 by the films of their respective video clubs, they met in Paris in 2007. At the end of their studies, they bought an Aaton Super 16mm camera and settled in Beirut. The Sea and Its Waves is their first dramatic feature film.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
The Blue Caftan
Richly erotic and deeply moving, Maryam Touzani’s queer-themed film takes us to urban Morocco and into the lives of three beautiful souls. Halim is a master tailor; Mina is his loyal wife; Youssef is the man who slowly comes between them.
The Sun Never Sets
At the suggestion of her much older (divorced) boyfriend, Wendy (Dakota Fanning) takes a summer to reevaluate her life and date other people. She's reluctant at first, but then reconnects with an old flame... A gentle indie comedy from Joe Swanberg.
Hanging by a Wire
The Himalayas, Aug 22, 2023: a cable car bearing 8 passengers (six of them schoolkids) is left dangling 900 feet above the ground when two out of three cables snap. This nailbiting documentary recounts the increasingly frantic rescue attempts.
