On August 4th, 2020, the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut leaves a large part of the Lebanese capital in ruins. In the midst of the chaos, a troubled film crew face an overwhelming decision: to continue the production of their movie or abandon it? As they face the aftermath of the catastrophe, they are torn between their firm belief in the transformative power of cinema and a deep sense of cynicism about its ability to effect change in a nation plagued by economic turmoil and societal collapse. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano chronicles their struggles and highlights the crew's resilience as they strive to find meaning and purpose in their work amidst the devastation.

Festivals & Awards: International Film Festival Karlovy Var 2023, DOC NYC 2023

About the Filmmaker:

Cyril Aris is a Lebanese director, screenwriter, and editor based in Beirut. Armed with an MFA from Columbia University, he is also a member of the AMPAS. His short film THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT premiered at Toronto in 2017 and screened over 80+ festivals. Venturing into the world of documentaries, Aris unveiled his debut feature documentary THE SWING in 2018, which premiered at Karlovy Vary. Cyril Aris is currently developing his feature IT’S A SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD and completed his second feature documentary DANCING ON THE EDGE OF A VOLCANO which premiered at Karlovy Vary and won Special Jury Mention. As an editor, he worked on DEATH OF NINTENDO (Berlinale 2020) and COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON (Venise 2021).