by digitalstudiome.com — The Director’s Fortnight running from 7th-17th July 2021 will showcase the director’s debut film titled The Sea Ahead at the 74th Cannes Film Festival. Ely was previously awarded the Palm D’Or award for Best Short Film at the 68th Cannes Film Festival for his film Waves’98. When in production, The Sea Ahead has won many awards including Best Film in Post-Production at the Final Cut in Venice workshop, CineGouna Platform’s award for Best Project in Development Phase, Financial Award from Drosos Foundation and several grants from Arab Funds for Arts and Culture, Doha Film Institute, Red Sea Fund among others. The story of the film revolves abound Jana, a young woman who suddenly returns to Beirut and finds herself reconnecting with the familiar yet strange life she had once left behind.

Starring Manal Issa, Yara Abou Haidar, Rabih El Zaher and Roger Azar, the film has been produced by Andolfi (Arnaud Dommerc) in association with Beachside and co-produced by Aboout Productions; Wrong Men and Beaver and Beaver. Ely Dagher is an artist and filmmaker who has been working across mediums and his work focusses on the layering of multiple narratives in film. His work is often inspired by his upbringing in Lebanon and its current state involving cultures, histories and fiction.