On August 4th, 2020, the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut leaves a large part of the Lebanese capital in ruins. In the midst of the chaos, a troubled film crew face an overwhelming decision: to continue the production of their movie or abandon it? As they face the aftermath of the catastrophe, they are torn between their firm belief in the transformative power of cinema and a deep sense of cynicism about its ability to effect change in a nation plagued by economic turmoil and societal collapse. Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano chronicles their struggles and highlights the crew's resilience as they strive to find meaning and purpose in their work amidst the devastation.

About the Filmmaker

Cyril Aris is a Lebanese Director & Screenwriter and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His latest feature documentary Dancing on the Edge of Volcano (2023), premiered in the Main Competition of the 57th Karlovy Vary IFF where it won a jury special mention. It had its UK premiere in competition at the 67th BFI London Film Festival and its North American premiere in competition at DOC NYC, and played at CPH DOX in Denmark. It won the Audience Award at the 38th Mostra de Valencia in Spain, the Audience Award at the 64th Festival de Popoli in Italy, the Best Film award at the 29th Medfilm Festival in Rome, the Viewfinder Main Prize at the 20th Verzio Human Rights Festival in Budapest, and a jury special mention at the 45th Cinémed in France.