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
In Arabic with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
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.
Vanguard
See more films in this series:
Bitten
Françoise wakes up from an ominous dream that seems to foreshadow her imminent death. Not wanting to waste a minute of her remaining time, she consults her crystal pendulum and convinces her best friend Delphine to attend a mysterious costume party.
On the Go
Questioning her desire to have a child, a mid-thirties woman embarks on a road trip with her best friend, who is working through his own commitment issues. Their journey turns into a whirlwind of roadside drama and unexpected self-discoveries.
Animal
Residents of a Greek island prepare for fellow European tourists seeking the best summer experience their modest earnings can buy, the "animatuers" at the local hotel resort dust off their shiny costumes and dance to keep the masses entertained.
Octopus Skin
Three siblings live with an emotionally stunted mother on a remote island off the coast of Ecuador, cocooned and deeply mistrustful of the world outside their bubble. But dark secrets loom, pulling the eldest daughter toward city life.
The Sea and Its Waves
Like a film poem, The Sea and Its Waves follows a brother and sister as they pass through an almost deserted Beirut on their way out of the country. Bathed in moonlight and flickering city lights, this is atmospheric, transcendental cinema.
The Face of the Jellyfish
Thirty-something Marina wakes up to a completely new face. Cutting herself off from friends and colleagues, she pours through family archives to make sense of the surreal development. With no practical solution in sight, a world of possibility opens up.
