Birds of September
Spring Grant 2012 - Production/Post-Production Stage
Sarah Francis / Feature Experimental or Essay / Lebanon, Qatar / 2013 / 95 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Road Trip, Essay Documentary
Synopsis
Hiding behind the glass of his moving bubble, the narrator explores the streets of Beirut while his camera constantly searches for something, for someone. This glass van becomes a moving confession room, captures moments in people’s lives on its journey. Their confessions are true, blunt and intimate. Inside this see-through box, the sounds of the city dissolve, the mood is intimate and anonymous faces becomes familiar. People present themselves as individuals, isolated from the distracting elements around them.
Credits
- Director
- Sarah Francis
- Screenwriter
- Sarah Francis
- Producer
- Sarah Francis
About the Director
Sarah Francis grew up in Beirut and graduated from IESAV at Saint Joseph University. Since 2005, she has worked as a freelance director and has participated in several workshops and labs. Her feature-length documentary ‘Birds of September’ (2013) screened at numerous international festivals and museums, and won several awards. Her work also includes short videos. She is currently developing a project with the support of the Asian Cinema Fund. With ‘Dead Dog’, her upcoming fiction project, she was a participant of Cinephilia Bound in collaboration with La Maison des scénaristes at the Festival de Cannes in 2017, and is also attending other major film labs.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
Dubai International Film Festival 2013, Muhr Arab Documentary (UAE)
CPH DOX 2013, in International Main Competition (Denmark)
Art of the Real 2015, North American Premiere (USA)
Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève 2015 (Switzerland)
AFAC
Won Best Film at International Competition, the White Gooze Award) at DMZ International Documentary Film Festival 2014 (South Korea).
Won First Work Award at Festival Mediterraneen de Tetouan 2014 (Morocco)
Received Special Mention at Pravo Ljudski F