This poetic hybrid documentary introduces us to three majestic abandoned buildings that witnessed Beirut’s tumultuous history, and come to life through a casual conversation amongst themselves. Using animation and archival audiovisuals, this film takes us back to the Golden Era of Beirut, when the Piccadilly Theater was filled with glamorous entertainment, the Egg was bustling with people in its local markets, and Beit Beirut housed an iconic hair salon and families living under its art-deco roof. When the Lebanese Civil War erupted in 1975, the lives of these buildings had changed completely, turning into bases for snipers on the demarcation line that split the city into East and West, based on religious sects. Years later, the August 4th 2020 explosion in Beirut awakens the three buildings from their slumber as they witness another chapter of the city’s history, and reminds them of their troubling past.

About the Filmmaker

Alessandra El Chanti is a Lebanese filmmaker born and raised in Qatar. She holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University, and has directed multiple short documentaries. Her latest film, When Beirut Was Beirut, is an animated documentary that won the Bader Best Short Film Award at the Ajyal Film Festival in 2021. El Chanti’s interests lie in the culture, politics, and societies of the Levant, with a primary focus on tales of her hometown Beirut.