The Sea Ahead

Jana, a young woman, suddenly returns to Beirut after a long absence. She finds herself back in the familiar yet strange life she once left behind. The formidable pressure of fitting into the family dynamic anew while revealing details of her life abroad weighs heavily on her. Cornered, old fears and anxieties resurface and are underscored by the desolation of the city. In Ely Dagher's gracefully melancholic debut, Jana's apathy and depression function as a metaphor for the crisis-ridden Beirut to which she returns. "In this first riveting feature, Ely Dagher intertwines the future of a crisis-ridden Beirut with the existential wanderings of young Jana." (Libération)

Keywords

  • Creatives: Debut Films
  • Sooner Exclusives
  • Sooner Exclusives: Stories that Matter
  • dystopia
  • family
  • homecoming
  • middle east
  • neurodiversity

Actors

  • Manal Issa
  • Yara Abou Haidar
  • Rabih El Zaher
  • Fadi Abi Samra

Director

  • Ely Dagher

Drama


1h 56min


16+

AR


ES

SV

IT

PT

EN

DE

PL

Belgium
France
Lebanon
Qatar
United States of America
2021
This riveting feature tells the story of a young woman returning home to a crisis-ridden country and family she barley recognizes.

This riveting feature tells the story of a young woman returning home to a crisis-ridden country and family she barley recognizes.


Jana, a young woman, suddenly returns to Beirut after a long absence. She finds herself back in the familiar yet strange life she once left behind.


The formidable pressure of fitting into the family dynamic anew while revealing details of her life abroad weighs heavily on her. Cornered, old fears and anxieties resurface and are underscored by the desolation of the city.


In Ely Dagher's gracefully melancholic debut, Jana's apathy and depression function as a metaphor for the crisis-ridden Beirut to which she returns.


"In this first riveting feature, Ely Dagher intertwines the future of a crisis-ridden Beirut with the existential wanderings of young Jana." (Libération)

Festivals

Cast & Crew