Sirens

This rousing documentary from Rita Baghdadi will have you screaming for more Slave to Sirens, the first and only all-women thrash metal band in the Middle East. The film follows band co-founders, Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara. Their complex, competitive friendship is the heart of this story about love, rebellion, and self determination. Set against the cultural backdrop of protest as Lebanese people take to the streets during the October Revolution, we watch Lilas, Shery, and their contemporaries as they are bolstered by the sweeping energy of protests throughout the country. Growing up in the shadow of their parents’ civil war, the Sirens have big dreams, and their music speaks to the rage and hope of their generation, juxtaposing the raw joy of their performances against the shattering instability of life in the SWANA region. Creation, friendship, and collaboration grounds the Sirens in their shared sense of purpose and uncrushable optimism in the face of immense and systemic challenges.