Turmoil - Chapter One, 6min., Lebanon
Directed by Sary Andre El Asmar
A young woman lives between two worlds: Europe, where she’s built a life, and Lebanon, the home she can’t stop longing for. Torn between memory and desire, she drifts back and forth, riding the emotional rollercoaster of exile, identity, and belonging.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

What motivated me to make this film was the complex feeling of belonging and displacement that many Lebanese expats carry. I started filming randomly with no clear plan.
When my friend, who lives in Germany, came back to Lebanon we spent many days together, and after that i began to sense the constant push and pull, the urge to return to her home but at the same time the desire to leave again. For me home is where your roots are, but it's also where safety feels uncertain. The film became a reflection of living between two places, two lives, and two versions of what "home" means.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Well actually, I have been shooting randomly for about 1 year and a half. I am a sea lover and mountain lover. So I used to shoot randomly every time I went out. But the idea of putting those shots into the final product took me like 3 months.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Wandering Roots

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Emotional breakdowns

5. There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution.
What is your favorite stage of the process and why?
4) Post-Production because this process is where the real story telling happens , where I can put all my emotions and meanings to start to take shape.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Well, I have graduated as a filmmaker and passion for filmmaking and films has been there all my life

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I have watched so many old films from Tarkovsky, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorcese, etc....

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Well if i was present at the festival a debate with the audience about the film would be nice.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Experience was great and professional

10. What is your favorite meal?
We have a very well know meal in Lebanon called "Riz A Djej" in english it is rice with chicken with specific spices and a side salade

11. What is next for you? A new film?
My next film is the second part of this film but it will be filmed from Germany or France.