Warsha is a short film written and directed by Lebanese filmmaker Dania Bdeir, and which trailer was just released five days ago.
The storyline is about a Syrian crane operator named Mohamed working in a construction site in Beirut. During work, he finds his freedom when he is away from everyone’s eyes.
The film is set to premiere at the annual Sundance Film Festival, which is the largest independent film festival in the United States, from January 20th until January 30th.
It will also be screened later this month at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the second-largest film festival in France.
It was also selected for the 2022 International Film Festival of Rotterdam.
Starring Mohamad Al Khansa, a Beirut-based artist and male Lebanese belly dancer, Warsha was produced by Coralie Dias of Inter Spinas Films (France) and co-produced by Né à Beyrouth Films (Lebanon).
Filmmaker Dania Bdeir is a Lebanese-Canadian award-winning writer and director, currently based in New York and Dubai, and is a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.
Her talent has earned her many awards, notably the Award of Excellence at the 2014 Canada International film festival, and the Golden Palm at the 2014 Mexico International Film Festival for her movie “Meshkal” (Kaleidoscope).
Her short film “In White” had its world premiere at the Clermont Ferrand film festival and went on to screen on more than 30 film festivals worldwide.
It has also won awards, including the International Grand Prize at the Rio de Janeiro International short film festival, making it eligible for the Academy Awards.
Here’s the newly released Warsha’s trailer:
Those in the United States wishing to watch the premiere of Warsha can do so online at The Sundance Institute. A purchase of an explorer pass ticket is required.
