Beirut in Between
Anna Fahr & Samuel Gagnon
Language: English, Arabic, Farsi
Based On: Original Screenplay
Project Type: Feature Film (Scripted)
Genre: Drama
Stage of Development: Polish & Packaging
Estimated Length (minutes): 110 mintures
Director: Anna Fahr
Director Bio:
ANNA FAHR is an Iranian-Canadian independent filmmaker and founder of Morning Bird Pictures, a production company dedicated to creating films and new media that focus on the contemporary Middle East and diaspora. Her debut narrative feature, Valley of Exile, premiered at Cinequest in 2023 where it won the Jury Award for Best Feature Drama. It has since screened in 30 international festivals on 6 continents, winning 10 awards. The film was released theatrically in select cinemas across Canada in the summer of 2024 and on AppleTV+ Canada that fall. It is slated for release on Watermelon+ and other VOD platforms in 2026.
Anna's previous work includes the award-winning interactive web-docs, Migrant Mothers of Syria and My Life in Limbo. Her 2014 dramatic short, Transit Game, shot in north Lebanon, screened in 50+ festivals winning prizes in Berlin, San Francisco and Florence. Her first feature documentary, Khaneh Ma: These Places We Call Home, was shot in various cities in Iran, screened in international festivals and was theatrically released in Montreal.
Anna is currently in late development on her second narrative feature, Beirut in Between with financing from Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates and the Harold Greenberg Fund. Anna is an alumnus of TIFF Talent Lab, CFC Writer’s Lab, Tribeca All Access and Film Independent’s Screenwriting and Directing Labs.
Proposed or Confirmed Talent: Writer/Director/Producer Anna Fahr, Producer Samuel Gagnon, Producer Bahija Essoussi
Total Budget: $2,500,000 CAD
Percent Confirmed: 15%
Currency: CAD
List names of confirmed partners: Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, Harold Greenberg Fund (development funding)
What is this project seeking? Financing, Distribution, Sales Agent, Broadcaster, Co-production Partner
Logline:
Leila, an ambitious Iranian medical student bound for Canada, becomes stranded in Beirut — a city pulsing with chaos, uncertainty, and unexpected freedom. Caught between her past and future, and navigating a budding romance with a Syrian photographer, she begins to question her pursuit of the immigrant dream.
Synopsis:
Iranian medical student Leila touches down in Beirut, coming in over the Mediterranean, en route to medical school in Toronto and the opportunity of a better life. What should have been the mere formality of obtaining her student visa takes a sharp turn upon arrival when she is informed that, due to a bureaucratic oversight, her visa has been denied.
Unwilling to abandon her dream, Leila resigns herself to stay in Beirut and find some way to get to Canada. She decides to seek the visa through unofficial channels with the help of Chadi, a charming young college student who is trying to get to know her better.
While waiting for the fake visa, Leila begins volunteering as a medic at a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley. There, she meets Karim, a Syrian volunteer who is frustrated by the camp bureaucracy and constant shortage of supplies. As they work side by side under intense and grueling conditions, Leila gets a taste of what she is capable of when pushed to her limits. Against her better judgement, she begins to develop feelings for Karim, complicating her situation even further.
Meanwhile, Leila faces the risk of losing her university scholarship and must act quickly to secure the future she has always dreamed of. But her deepening romantic connection with Karim and growing sense of commitment to her work in the camp leads her to wonder: is life in the West truly the one she wants?
Contact Information: anna@morningbirdpictures.com
