Five years ago, Lebanese filmmaker Dania Bdeir was sitting on a balcony in Beirut when she noticed a construction crane in the distance and the silhouette of a man outside the cabin. “It was very far away, it looked very scary, I thought that he was about to jump,” she says. “And then he got down on his knees, and he put his forehead to the ground. And I realised that he was praying – and that image stuck in my head very, very much. It was such a beautiful sight.”
Immediately she became “infatuated” by crane operators. “It’s this person in a tiny cabin, operating this giant machinery, and they can see the world, but nobody can see them,” she says.
She envisioned creating a short film featuring such a character, though even Bdeir could not have imagined then that the result would feature cutting-edge movie technology and the taboo-busting Beirut singer and belly dancer Khansa.
The resulting 15-minute production, Warsha, is playing at Sundance Film Festival, as part of its online showcase until Sunday, January 30.
“Sundance – out of all festivals – has always been my dream. It’s so prestigious,” she says. “It’s extremely competitive for short films. There’s an acceptance rate of 0.7 per cent.”
Although the festival’s pandemic-related decision to go online means Bdeir can’t be there in person, she will get to screen the film physically at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, running from January 28 to February 5, before looking for a Mena premiere later in the year.
Certainly, Warsha is a film that deserves to be seen on the big screen – IMAX would be ideal – with its stomach-flipping vertiginous shots of the Beirut skyline. The story has a Syrian construction worker, Mohammad (Khansa), volunteer to ascend one of the Lebanese city's tallest cranes, a terrifying climb into the clouds. Here, though, he finds freedom of expression, as he discovers his inner diva, performing a remarkable dance routine in the most vertigo-inducing space you could imagine.
Bdeir first encountered Khansa when he released his first single, Khayef, in 2017, and she attended one of his concerts in Beirut. “The concert blew my mind. It was transcendental. It was way beyond a singer singing his songs. He was singing, he was dancing, he was using his body in interesting ways. He blended a lot of different art forms at the same time.”
After the concert, they began talking, with Bdeir revealing her idea for a short; they soon hit on the notion of the crane operator escaping the world below to express “a desire burning deep inside”.
Spending time with real-life Syrian construction workers, both during the research and shooting phase, Bdeir had a strong idea about what she wanted to film – but how to film it was another matter. Shockingly, in 2018, she shot a teaser – as a way of attracting financing – by climbing a crane herself.
“Right when we were about to go up the ladder, the camera operator froze. And he said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t go up there. I have kids.’ And he just gave me the camera. And I had to take the camera and go up. I couldn’t help but get dizzy as soon as I grabbed onto the ladder because it’s just so high, so unsafe.”
Up in the cabin, Bdeir was able to glean tiny details for the film, such as the teapot that the operator had with them, but she also understood it would be impossible – and far too dangerous – to shoot any of the film from a real crane. Her producer Coralie Dias came up with an elegant solution after she’d met with French visual effects house La Planete Rouge, which was in the middle of building a new studio to house the most advanced 3D virtual tech around.
The usual method of filming such a scene would be shooting an actor in a studio against a green screen, then adding in background footage in post-production. A relatively new alternative, Unreal Engine is a method that allows for the sequence to be shot in an immersive 360-degree environment, with the backdrop playing in real-time around the performer on LED walls. “This is an incredible opportunity because it’s not usually reserved for short filmmakers,” says Bdeir. “It’s usually [seen] on Marvel films … it looked so real.”
Alongside Khansa’s dexterous performance, the incredibly beautiful footage – captured via drone cameras – of the Beirut skyline truly brings the piece alive. Bdeir says she and the team are even planning on releasing some limited edition NFTs out of the unused footage from the film.
Although her parents are Syrian, moving to Lebanon when she was young, Bdeir was raised in Beirut. “I don’t know if I necessarily would have been a filmmaker if I hadn’t grown up in Lebanon,” she says. Her “entrance” into film came after her father gave her a camera when she was aged 16. “I started filming everything around me.”
Almost a decade ago, she moved to New York, where she studied filmmaking at NYU, creating her 2016 thesis short In White, the story of a young woman returning from New York to Beirut for her father’s funeral. But after graduating, the idea of returning to Lebanon did not sit easily with her. “I couldn’t let myself live there.”
For the past 18 months, she’s been living in Dubai, and yet she still feels the emotional pull of her homeland. “I think like all Lebanese, even when we leave, our hearts stay there. There’s something that we can’t fully let go of.”
While currently developing ideas for episodic TV, Bdeir also has ambitions to make the step into feature filmmaking. And, who knows, maybe she’ll also make use of her new experience in visual effects. “Am I necessarily excited about making a sci-fi alien movie? I wouldn’t think so right away. But then again, I’m all about character development,” she says. “So if it’s emotional, and it stays with you, why not? I never say never.”
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars
The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Match info
Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)
Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How to come clean about financial infidelity
- Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
- Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help.
- Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
- Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
- Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported.
Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Brief scores:
Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field
Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55
Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out
Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test Thursday-Monday at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Newcastle 2-2 Manchester City
Burnley 0-2 Crystal Palace
Chelsea 0-1 West Ham
Liverpool 2-1 Brighton
Tottenham 3-2 Bournemouth
Southampton v Watford (late)
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
