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Beirut Dreams in Color

Country: Lebanon, USA, UK, 28 mins

  • Director: Michael Collins
  • Writer: Michael Collins, Patty Kim
  • Producer: Marty Syjuco, Sarah Kaskas, James Costa, Michael Collins

CGiii Comment

An act of defiance? Or, an act for survival?

That defiance ended a life. To blame? That goddamn awful religion.

The grinding down of a theological ideology is a long, difficult and dangerous process. Many lives have been lost, many more lives will be lost...the Islamic institutions will never budge on homosexuality nor on women's rights.

The only way is revolution...music as incitement!


Watch...

The(ir) Blurb...

Mashrou’ Leila were one of the biggest bands in the Middle East, with a lead singer, Hamed, who is the most prominent openly gay rock star in the Arab world.

Known globally, their gigs were regular sell-out successes until an event at their 2017 Cairo concert changed everything. Playing to 35,000 people, the band looked out at a sea of swaying flickering lights, including an Egyptian fan flying a rainbow flag. This simple act would later be described by authorities as ‘inciting debauchery’, and ultimately catapulted the band, the fan and others into a tragic series of events.

While this violent repression against the LGBTQ+ community in the Middle East mirrors a global trend, creatives on the frontline are unified in their resistance.

Cast & Characters

Mostafa Fouad
Sarah Hegazi
Haig Papazian
Hamed Sinno
Tarek Zeidan