Synopsis
A glassed van roams the streets of Beirut, home to a camera that explores the city behind the glass. Along the way, several people are invited to share a personal moment in this moving confessional. Each one comes as a face, a body, a posture, a voice, an attitude, an emotion, a point of view, a memory. Their confessions are true, blunt, and intimate. However, soon enough, the van empties again, and roams Beirut; restlessly looking for something, for someone.
A word from Tënk
Lebanese filmmaker Sarah Francis’ oneiric debut film Birds of September is set in the streets of Beirut, where the camera through the perspective of a glass-walled vehicle, skillfully pans across the urban landscape, continuously searching and gracefully capturing all that comes in its way, bringing to life the colors of Beirut at the pulse of its residents. The filmmaker’s poetic and compelling inner thoughts, voiced through a narrator, guide us through the quiet and crowded spaces, nostalgically commenting on memory, the meaning of dreams and that of the city. The transparent protective box which ultimately becomes a private confessional, presents the personal stories of random individuals from different horizons. Inside, the noise from the exterior world is faint, giving way to the intimate portraits of the various narratives and the realities of life. The shielded atmosphere helps create a sense of proximity with these characters who glare directly and intentionally into the camera, then to Beirut. Filmed through the chaos with a masterful sense of control, the series of stories intricately weave with that of the collective to become a harmonious meditation about the city and its soul.
Marlene Edoyan
Programmer, RIDM
