WE ARE INSIDE

Farah Kassem | 2024 | Arabic | S.T English

A filmmaker returns to Tripoli after 15 years abroad to reconnect with her father. Their intimate bond, shaped by poetry and intergenerational tensions, unfolds against the backdrop of Lebanon’s political unrest.

"We Are Inside" follows Lebanese director Farah Kassem as she returns to her hometown of Tripoli after 15 years abroad, seeking to reconnect with her aging father Mustapha, a celebrated poet. Set primarily within the intimacy of their apartment, the film delves into the intergenerational and ideological tensions between them as they find common ground in their shared love of poetry against the backdrop of Lebanon’s political turmoil. Through tender, often humorous moments, Kassem’s camera captures the evolving bond between father and daughter, while the world outside, glimpsed through windows, becomes a poignant reflection of the changes in their lives. As Kassem steps into the streets during the 2019 protests, the film expands from a personal journey to a resonant meditation on the family, politics, and the passage of time.