The Beirut Apt + 7 Years

The Beirut Apt

The small spaces of an apartment contain issues of international scale in this intimate documentary. Lebanese law criminalises LGBT people, making them vulnerable to blackmail and attack - sometimes by state police - and preventing the report of hate crime.

With safety a concern an apartment was hired where interviewees could speak freely. What emerges is a snapshot of queer life in urban Lebanon, described by Arab people from a variety of faiths and cultural backgrounds. From growing up in a war zone to the rise of Hezbollah and the shock of renewed conflict with Israel, issues of identity, safety and freedom combine with issues of sexuality and gender. Despite differing backgrounds and opinions these eloquent men and women share the struggle to live authentically in a culture that denies their existence.

Anna Dunwoodie

7 Years

Kenyan law punishes homosexuality with imprisonment, with wide ranging consequences for LGBT communities. Made before recent atrocities this film brings to light gay life in a country seldom represented at our Festival.