In Sirens (2022) we follow Slave to Sirens, a feminist thrash-death metal band from Lebanon. They navigate their way to fame during times of the October 17 Revolution, a period of Lebanese uprising against the mismanagement of a corrupt government. The band members are full of dreams, but have also been plagued by (inter)generational traumas. In a country full of repression, misogyny and homophobia, the film shows their struggle for freedom of self-expression in an unprecedented way.

The result is an intimate and layered portrait of a band with countless facets. One minute the band members are standing at a protest amid screaming sirens and hissing tear gas, shouting for the fall of the Lebanese regime. The next moment they are doing each other’s make-up, followed by some head banging on stage with heavily distorted guitars. Meanwhile, everything is interspersed with images of a budding, secret queer relationship between band member Lilas and someone from Syria.

Sirens has all the ingredients for a successful collaboration between IFA and Zienema: raw music and in-your-face feminism. So come join us and let’s get in the mood for International Women’s Day together!

International Filmfestival Assen celebrates women filmmakers & strengthens their position in the film world, shows new perspectives & breaks stereotypical gender and sex roles. IFA is one of the oldest film festivals with an (intersectional) feminist tradition in Europe and the only film festival in the Netherlands where female filmmakers take center stage. During the 43rd edition, IFA offers no less than 26 current and thought-provoking (inter)national feature-length films, 12 shorts during the short film competitions KersVers and Noordsterren, and a brand new festival talk show. IFA takes place March 10-12 in DNK, Assen. For the entire program, visit filmfestivalassen.nl/program.

– Hilde

IFA | Assen

IMDb

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