Synopsis
Octopus surfaced during trauma, in the aftermath of the cataclysmic Port of Beirut explosion. The film silently navigates that unfolding, giving space to the myriad of existential questions birthed by the enormity of the happening. Questions of unexamined worldviews, of suffering and meaning, of collective purpose, and of many other quiet thoughts strewn amidst the rubble. What are we saying when we say nothing at all?
A word from Tënk
Octopus plunges us into life in Beirut, a city trying to heal after the devastating 2020 port explosion. As the camera slowly moves across the ruins, we observe the weight of the tragedy reflected on the empty faces gazing out into the void. This atmospheric feature, with a brilliant yet haunting sound design, paints a complex portrait of a nation silently questioning the violence emanating from this event. While the city slowly rises above the ashes and tends to its wounds, the state remains absent. Kassem’s film is a profound tribute to the streets of Beirut and to the humanity of its people.
Marlene Edoyan
Member of the RIDM Programming Collective
