After years abroad, a filmmaker returns to Tripoli, Lebanon, to confront the hometown that once rejected him as a queer child. With a microphone in hand, he wanders through cafés, public squares and parks, talking to residents about their beliefs, hopes and openness to change. Along the way, he meets a cast of unconventional characters: a communist activist, a queer music producer and others whose lives challenge the city’s conservative norms. Through these encounters, he reflects on the complicated ties we maintain with a hometown in crisis. A contemplative portrait of a city caught between stagnation and change.

Raed’s new short film We Will Haunt Your Archive (2026), released under the alias R.R., will also be screened as part of our Short Film Programme 2.