Taskovski Films Sales has picked up documentary “To Close Your Eyes and See Fire,” directed by Nicola von Leffern and Jakob Carl Sauer. The film will have its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival.
The film follows the after-effects of the explosion in Beirut, which left the city in ruins. Collective trauma rises to the surface. How can life succeed after such a tragedy?
The film carefully observes the following three years and zooms in on the lives of Aya – a Syrian refugee girl, Selim – an activist and painter, the Aladdin family – mourning a tragic loss, Yasmin – picking up calls at a suicide prevention hotline, and Andrea – who still believes in the city‘s spark for change. Meanwhile, a smoldering fire keeps on lingering in the port’s silos like a cautionary tale. Is it time to leave?
The film is directed and produced by Jakob Carl Sauer and Nicola von Leffern at Golden Girls Filmproduktion. The other producers are Peter Drössler, Arash T. Riahi and Sabine Gruber.
Irena Taskovski, CEO and head of acquisitions at Taskovski Films, said: “This powerful documentary not only explores the aftermath of the Beirut explosion but also investigates the unresolved questions and lack of accountability that still haunt the city. By highlighting the divide between different social classes and religions, the film reveals how the chance to heal from trauma varies — some can recover, while others are left to cope day by day. This universal message about justice and the unequal struggle to heal makes it an essential acquisition for platforms seeking thought-provoking and impactful films.”
The film was supported by ORF Film/Fernseh-Abkommen, Federal Ministry for Arts and Culture (BMKÖS), City of Vienna – Cultural Department (MA7), and Screenwriters Forum Vienna/Scriptlab.
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