Special Episode: Sundance 2022- Sirens director Rita Baghdadi

The Cinematography Podcast Sundance 2022 Special: Sirens Sirens is
an intimate coming of age documentary focused on Lilas Mayassi and
Shery Bechara, guitarists and co-founders of Slave to Sirens, the
Middle East's first all-female thrash metal band. The documentary
follows the band as they rehearse and play concerts, rebelling
against the country's criticisms and stereotypes about women and
heavy metal music. The relationships between bandmates is
complicated, but they find an outlet in their music amid violent
protests, fires and bombings in Beirut, Lebanon. Documentarian Rita
Baghdadi had set out to find a story based in the Middle East or
North Africa because her family background is Morrocan. In 2018 she
found Slave to Sirens' EP online, saw photos of the band, and felt
drawn to tell a story about the five women. The band was looking
for press opportunities, and they welcomed Rita and her camera.
None of them, including Rita, were sure Sirens would become a
feature length documentary. Rita made several trips to Beirut from
the U.S. to shoot and direct the documentary on her own, with just
one camera, over a period of three years. She enjoys making
intimate verite films, and unobtrusively focuses on the emotions in
each scene. Rita was able to spend enough time with the band to
weave a compelling documentary about independent women in the agony
and ecstasy of their 20's, creating their own world to escape the
chaos of their reality. Sirens premiered at the Sundance 2022 Film
Festival and is seeking sales and distribution. Find director Rita
Baghdadi http://www.ritabaghdadi.com/ Instagram: @ritaamal
Instagram: @sirensdocumentary Find the band, Slave to Sirens:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9EMD9pTtjJ4P1p7b2V4j2w Sponsored
by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com The Cinematography
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