Warsha

a film by

France, Lebanon | 15' | 01/2022 | fiction

Mohammad is a crane operator working in Beirut. One morning he volunteers to take on one of the tallest and notoriously most dangerous cranes in Lebanon. Away from everyone’s eyes, he is able to live out his secret passion and find freedom.

Square Eyes - SFF22_Laurels_Short Film Jury Award- International Fiction Presented by XRM Media_BLACK
Square Eyes - LAURIERS 2022National_Black
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Square Eyes - SFF22_Laurels_Short Film Jury Award- International Fiction Presented by XRM Media_BLACK
Square Eyes - LAURIERS 2022National_Black
Square Eyes - SXSW22_OfficialSelection_web_black

Dania Bdeir

Biography

Dania Bdeir is an award-winning Lebanese-Canadian filmmaker.
Bdeir, currently a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, has a BA in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut and an MFA in directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received a full scholarship in her third year.
IN WHITE, her graduate thesis film, received the Spike Lee Production Fund and had its world premiere at Clermont-Ferrand before screening at BFI London, Uppsala, and more than 30 other festivals worldwide.

Bdeir was a 2019 Berlinale Talent and participated in its Short Film Station with WARSHA, which had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and won the Jury Prize for the Best International Fiction Short. WARSHA, which is a co-production between Inter Spinas Films (France), GoGoGo Films (France) and Né à Beyrouth Films (Lebanon), secured a pre-purchase broadcast deal with European TV channel ARTE. The short has won over 20 awards and has been selected at over 60 festivals in the first six months since its premiere, including SXSW, Rotterdam, Clermont-Ferrand, Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs Shortfest, and Tampere, among many others.

Bdeir is currently developing PIGEON WARS, which received development financing from Telefilm Canada and was selected for the Torino Film Lab x DFI Hezaya Screenwriting Lab, Cine Qua Non Storylines, and Le Groupe Ouest. She is managed by Anonymous Content.

Filmography

  • Warsha (short, 2022)
  • In White (short, 2017)
  • Kaleidoscope (short, 2014)
Square Eyes -

Crew

Director: Dania Bdeir
Screenplay: Dania Bdeir
Producer: Inter Spinas Films: Coralie Dias
Co-Producers: Né à Beyrouth Films: Pierre Sarraf
Associate producers: GoGoGo Films: Carine Ruszniewski – Mohammed Fakhro
Cinematographer: Shadi Chaaban
Sound Design: Régis Diebold, Mathieu Z’Graggen
Editor: Ali J. Dalloul
Composer: Hello Psychaleppo
Production Designer: Perrine Villemur, Rita Chaghoury
VFX: La Planète Rouge
Cast: Khansa

Festivals

300+ selections, 70+ awards

Select highlights: 

  • Sundance Film Festival, United States (20 – 30 January, 2022)
    Short Film Competition Won: Best International Short Film: Fiction
  • Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, France (28 January – 5 February, 2022)
    National Competition
  • Tampere Film Festival, Finland (9 -13 March, 2022)
    International Competition Won: Best Fiction Award
  • SXSW, United States (11 – 19 March, 2022)
    Short Film Competition
  • BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, United Kingdom (16 – 27 March, 2022)
    Official Selection
  • REGARD – Festival international du court métrage au Saguenay, Canada (23 – 27 March, 2022)
    Official Competition Won: Jury Prize of the Festival
  • Martovski Festival – Belgrade Documentary And Short Film Festival, Serbia (29 March – 3 April, 2022)
    Competition Won: Best Cinematography
  • Aspen Shortsfest, United States (5 – 10 April, 2022)
    Competition Youth Jury Special Mention
  • Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Japan (7 – 20 June, 2022)
    International Competition Won: Best Short Award & George Lucas Award – Grand Prix & Oscar Qualifier
  • Palm Springs International ShortFest, United States (21 – 27 June, 2022)
    Official Selection: Best LGBT
  • Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival, United States (14 – 24 July, 2022)
    Official Selection Won: Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding International Narrative Short & Oscar Qualifier
  • Guanajuato International Film Festival, Mexico (21 – 31 July, 2022)
    International Short Film Fiction Competition Special Mention
  • Shorts México – Mexico International Short Film Festival, Mexico (1 – 30 September, 2022)
    International Live Action Competition Won: International Live Action Competition Award
  • Seminci – Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain (22 – 29 October, 2022)
    Competition Won: Rainbow Herringbone Award

 

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Press materials

EPK: Click here

Stills, poster & director’s photo: Click here

Dialogue list English & French: Click here

Downloadable trailer: Click here

Excerpts: Click here