To Close your Eyes and See Fire

Beirut is in ruins. The explosion at the city’s port has left the population traumatised. There’s Aya, a Syrian refugee; Selim, an artist and activist; the Aladdin family in mourning; Yasmin, who responds to calls from a suicide prevention hotline; and Andrea, who firmly believes that the city will get back on its feet. Meanwhile, a latent tension persists in the port and Beirut’s inhabitants hesitate whether to stay or leave. Over three years, the film follows a population devastated by this tragedy with international repercussions. To Close Your Eyes and See Fire is a poetic mosaic about the void left by tragedy, but it also tackles the unanswered questions that still haunt the city.
Jakob Carl Sauer
Von Leffern/Sauer