

What happens when you start a band in a country falling apart? Magic. And rage.
Lebanon today. The traces of the civil war are all too tangible as government corruption becomes unbearable. In a country where conflict and peace are caught in an endless cycle, musicians from different backgrounds pool their talents to create an underground music scene. Each evokes his or her representation of Lebanon: its shifting geographical, political, historical and social borders, its painful passage through conflict and instability. A touching portrait of a young generation trying to build an oasis in a hostile environment where the forces of destruction continue to wreak havoc.
Direction
Dual directors capture chaos and beauty with equal intimacy.
Sound
Soundtrack merges traditional Lebanese sounds with raw experimental noise.
Director
Grégoire Orio
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Khamsin refers to the hot, dry wind that blows across North Africa and the Middle East—fitting for a film about pressure building before explosion.
Shot during the actual 2019 Lebanese protests, the directors had to pivot mid-production when history interrupted their character study.