Ship of Fools
Alia and the monsters that have accompanied her since childhood are all too familiar with the images of destruction and ruin that surround Beirut. Being born into a context of war forges certain shields — but also leaves behind vulnerabilities and private inner worlds. In one of these worlds, Alia meets Abu Samra, a man training to become a superhero in order to save Beirut from its many dangers. Abu Samra carries his own monsters, but from within the realm of imagination, he offers glimpses of resistance — even to the filmmaker herself, who steps into the frame.
Alia Haju is a Brooklyn/Beirut-based filmmaker and musician. Alia grew up in South Lebanon until 1994 when she fled, during the Israeli war on Lebanon, to the UAE and later the US. In 2005 she returned to Lebanon to complete a BFA at AUB. She then worked as a photographer and photo editor, covering the SWANA region and the Syrian war, and as a freelance investigative video-journalist for multiple media organizations. She is director of the award winning Ship of fools short and co-author of the award-winning feature-doc Kashkash. Alia received multiple funds for her films like AFAC, Doha Film Institute, MFG Filmförderung and a music album fund from NYFA.
Film translated by: Parceria com o Olhar de Cinema – Festival Internacional de Curitiba
Germany/Lebanon, 2024, 30’
Director: Alia Haju
