Locus Cordis + A Frown Gone Mad - ALFILM Arab Film Festival Berlin

Das sagt der/die Veranstalter:in:

Locus Cordis
Documentary, director: Alhasan Yousef, Belgium/Portugal/Hungary, 2023, 19 min, AR, with EN st.

Occupied by Israel since 1967, the Syrian Golan has a heavily militarized border running through it, which families “cross” by shouting to their loved ones. From his European exile, and focusing on the body and the power of sound as sites for the exploration of anxiety, inner isolation, and torn identities, Alhasan Yousef tries to reconnect with his lost country from afar.

A Frown Gone Mad 

Documentary, director: Omar Mismar, Lebanon, 2024, 71 min, AR, with EN st.

A bootleg beauty salon in suburban Beirut continues to serve its clients amid turbulent times. As another war threatens to engulf the country, exacerbating political and economic crises, the business thrives: Botox, filler injections, and other skin rejuvenation treatments remain in high demand. Beyond mastering the art of erasing wrinkles, Bouba, the salon owner, possesses a natural talent for entertainment. As she treats her clients, she engages them in lively and amusing conversations, offering a revealing glimpse into Lebanese society: its resilience, fears, hopes, peculiarities, and contemporary obsessions. This first feature documentary by Lebanese visual artist Omar Mismar premiered at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in 2024.

Followed by a film talk with Omar Mismar.