“Happiness is when you can be content with yourself,” says elderly Palestinian cab driver Abu Houssam, who cruises the streets of Beirut (often in a Santa cap) looking for fares, lamenting lost loves, and drinking far too much alcohol. Ali, a young Syrian refugee, spends his days swimming and meeting up with friends also living as refugees. Money is in very short supply, and he cannot earn enough to buy his way off the streets. Samya, a Lebanese woman, lives with her ailing mother, her rootless nephew, and Tati the cat. They knit their days together with stories of the past and hopes for the future, along with cigarettes, meals, and card games. The fourth character in this film is Beirut itself. The city is a maze of people, cars, buildings upon buildings, and a tumultuous and rich soundscape. Director Sarah Kaskas combines these stories with compassion, glimpses of humour, and a pulsing music score (which she herself composed), as well as music from Lebanese band Kinematik. -KE

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