Lebanese short film "Les Chenilles" by filmmaking duo Michelle and Noel Keserwany — a laureate of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, and the first Arab film to win the award — will be boasting multiple screenings at the 6th edition of El Gouna Film Festival, which is set to run from December 14th to the 21st.
The short film will be holding its Arab world premiere as part of El Gouna Film Festival’s Short Film Competition within Short Film Package 4, with the first screening taking place on Tuesday, December 19th at 9 pm, and the second screening taking place on Wednesday, December 20th at 8:30 pm. Both screenings will take place at Sea Cinema 1.
"Les Chenilles" follows two female waitresses Asma and Sarah — two women originally from the Levant — who work in the same restaurant in the city of Lyon, France, and both bear the weight of a home they were forced to leave behind.
Initially wary of each other, they gradually discover a common thread that binds them — one that dates back to when the Silk Road connected Lyon to their home countries. In the midst of forced migrations, can they move past their animosity to find solace in each other?
The short film is currently touring a myriad of international festivals, where it went on to receive the Jury Prize at the Malmö Arab Film Festival, the Audience Award at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival, and a special mention from the Kinmastic International Short Film Festival in Malta. It was also nominated for the Best Short Film Award by the European Film Academy.
"Les Chenilles" has also screened at over 20 prestigious international film festivals, including the Format Court, Lichter, Golden Harvest, Diaspora, Kurzfilm, SAFAR, Tetova, Concorto, Dokufest, Kerala, FIRST, and Golden Ger International film festivals.
It was also recently preselected to compete for the Cesar Award for Best Narrative Short in France.
MAD Solutions had recently acquired the Arab world distribution rights to the short film, which was described by Film Verdict as a “complex and energizing film worthy of an award.”
Written and directed by Michelle Keserwany and Noel Keserwany, "Les Chenilles" is scripted by Michelle and stars Noel Keserwany and Masa Zaher; is produced by Biennale de Lyon, Dewberries Film, and Marine Vaillant; and is lensed by Karim Ghorayeb. Meanwhile Italy-based distribution company Lights On is acting as the film’s international sales agent.
The short drama was supported by the CNC – Aide au parcours d’Auteur, la CinéFabrique de Lyon, and la Cité Internationale des Arts de Paris.
Michelle and Noel Keserwany are Lebanese musicians, writers, and filmmakers who live between Beirut and Paris.
Ever since Michelle co-wrote Academy Award nominee CAPERNAUM with director Nadine Labaki, the sisters started their film projects, including the political documentary SLOW BURN — a co-production between France and Lebanon that is produced by Special Touch Studios and supported by the CNC.
Between 2019 and 2021, they received grants from the French Institute to reside at La Cite des Arts in Paris and work on their film projects, and in 2022, they joined hands to direct their debut short fiction film LES CHENILLES. The film received 3 development and post-production prizes at the Amman Industry Days last August.
As for each one’s individual projects, Noel is currently writing her first fiction film UN AN, and developing an animated short film titled SEVEN MOUNTAINS AND SEVEN SEAS — a grantee of the DFI Production Fund that is produced by Dewberries Films.
Meanwhile, Michelle is currently developing her first animated feature film OUZKOURINI which is produced by Special Touch Studios.
Early on, in 2021, she received the CNC's Aide au Parcours d’Auteur grant to develop her first fiction feature film AMARA — a satirical political drama that takes place in Beirut. The film also received 3 development and post-production prizes at the Amman Industry Days.
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