Short film by Ayeesha Starkey
Amidst Lebanon's petrol crisis, two brothers, Zouheir and Wael, who have been pushing their car from gas station to the next. They reach the last defunct station and are stopped by goons that won't let them pass. Across the highway in a coffee van, two outcasts with a talking radio wonder what is about to come out of this encounter.
Benzine was filmed in the heart of Baalbek in a defunct gas station, and we constructed a makeshift corner store (dekkeneh) on both sides of the main highway, as well as captured the rural landscape of a local village. The short film approaches Lebanon’s heated political and economical climate in a satirical manner. Not only does Benzine fall into the category of satire but it is also an experimental and fashion film. Everything worn on set is from a Lebanese brand that focuses on thrifted fashion.
T H E P R O D U C T I O N
Director, Ayeesha Starkey
Camera Operator, Ayman Hashem
Art Director, Nour Samman
Director of Photography, Khalil Ezzeddine
1st Assistant Director. Leen Harazallah
2nd Assistant Director. Sofia Kadra
MUA & Assistant Art Director, Joanna Zbib
Project Manager, Ali Amhaz
Film Stills Photographer, Tamara Saade
Camera Assistant, Mohammed D.
Director of Photography, Khalil Ezzeddine
Sound, Sajed Berjaoui, Shady Kanj, Korkeh
THE GAS STATION
THE COFFEE VAN
( D E K K E N E H )
T H E C A S T
T H E B R O T H E R S
Sany Abdel Baki, Wael
Amer Fayed, Zouheir
T H E B I G S
Left - Mohammad Darghouth, Abou Sarkha
Right - Omar Khalifeh, Kbeer
Bashar El Khoury, 3asfour
Mohammad Fawzi, Aws
B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S
The short film is currently in the post production process.
