Uploaded September 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
© Jamal Saidi
Beirut Dreams In Color
Directed by Michael Collins
Duration 28’ | English, Arabic with English subtitles
Officially selected for #WOMEX22 Film Programme:
Thursday – Saturday, 11:00 – 17:00
Film Library (Conference Area)
Production Country, Year US/UK 2022 | Produced by Guardian Documentaries | Co-produced by Thoughtful Robot Productions | Producers Sarah Kaskas, Marty Syjuco, James Costa | Executive Producers Parry Kim, Lindsay Poulton, Jess Gormley | Director of Photography Adrian Hartrick, Benjamin Henretig, Clarissa de los Reyes | Sound Michael Collins | Editor Michael Collins
At a concert in Cairo, the biggest band in the Middle East, Mashrou' Leila, energises a crowd of 35,000 people. On stage, the charismatic lead singer, Hamed, the first openly gay rock star in the Arab world, faces a sea of swaying flickering lights. Among the incandescence, a fan raises a giant rainbow flag, capping off a magical night. Beirut Dreams in Color is, simultaneously, a rare and nuanced look into the LGBTQ politics of the Middle East and a moving testament to the power of music and the universal desire for freedom.
Michael Collins is a two-time Emmy® and Grierson nominated filmmaker and the founder of Thoughtful Robot, a film production company committed to telling stories that inspire, connect and galvanise change.
More info about the WOMEX 22 Film Programme here: womex.com
See you in Lisbon!
#worldwidemusic #musicfilm
© Jamal Saidi
Beirut Dreams In Color
Directed by Michael Collins
Duration 28’ | English, Arabic with English subtitles
Officially selected for #WOMEX22 Film Programme:
Thursday – Saturday, 11:00 – 17:00
Film Library (Conference Area)
Production Country, Year US/UK 2022 | Produced by Guardian Documentaries | Co-produced by Thoughtful Robot Productions | Producers Sarah Kaskas, Marty Syjuco, James Costa | Executive Producers Parry Kim, Lindsay Poulton, Jess Gormley | Director of Photography Adrian Hartrick, Benjamin Henretig, Clarissa de los Reyes | Sound Michael Collins | Editor Michael Collins
At a concert in Cairo, the biggest band in the Middle East, Mashrou' Leila, energises a crowd of 35,000 people. On stage, the charismatic lead singer, Hamed, the first openly gay rock star in the Arab world, faces a sea of swaying flickering lights. Among the incandescence, a fan raises a giant rainbow flag, capping off a magical night. Beirut Dreams in Color is, simultaneously, a rare and nuanced look into the LGBTQ politics of the Middle East and a moving testament to the power of music and the universal desire for freedom.
Michael Collins is a two-time Emmy® and Grierson nominated filmmaker and the founder of Thoughtful Robot, a film production company committed to telling stories that inspire, connect and galvanise change.
More info about the WOMEX 22 Film Programme here: womex.com
See you in Lisbon!
#worldwidemusic #musicfilm
