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
A Magnificent Life
Animator Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville; The Illusionist) crafts a loving biopic of the revered French writer, playwright and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol (Jean de Florette; My Father's Glory)
Salón México + Midnight Boogaloo Live!
To celebrate our Mexico Noir series we invited Midnight Boogaloo to get the party going with a mix of salsa, boogaloo and rock & roll. After their set enjoy the seminal dancehall melodrama Salón México, a classic from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.
Nika & Madison
Two young Indigenous women become fugitives following an act of self-defence and are forced to flee into the wilderness. Inspired by Thelma and Louise, this compelling story of unbreakable friendship sheds light on systemic injustices.
Gabriel Figueroa & Alex Phillips: Painting It Black
In this free talk, educator and filmmaker Devan Scott (himself a professional cinematographer) will introduce you to the artistry of two giants of Mexican cinematography, Gabriel Figueroa and Canadian Alex Phillips.
The Things You Kill
Thirty-something professor Ali leads an apparently stable life. But when his ailing mother dies under ambiguous circumstances, he starts to unravel, resulting in an act that shatters our understanding of his person.
