Lebanon is a country with a complicated political situation and a deep history and culture. However, it’s not a country known for its heavy metal music. Let alone heavy metal music made by women. Maybe the upcoming documentary, “Sirens,” will help change that perception.
“Sirens” follows an all-female metal band as they wrestle with friendship, sexuality, and destruction in their pursuit of becoming thrash metal stars. They’ll also have to deal with the weight of being the first and only female group to come out of Lebanon.
This isn’t the first time Oscilloscope Laboratories have touched the music industry. In June 2022, they released the movie “Poser” which focused on the underground live-music scene. They also released the documentary “He’s No Ordinary Man” about Canadian Jazz singer Billy Tipton who was revealed to be transgender after his death.
“Sirens” is directed by “City Rising” producer, Rita Baghdadi. The Washington-born director is mainly drawn to documentaries and is best known for her work on “Subject,” “My Country No More,” and “Dark Moon Rising.” “Sirens” is executive produced by Maya Rudolph, Natasha Lyonne, and veteran producer Danielle Renfrew Behrens.
Baghdadi’s movie won the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest in July 2022, and “Sirens” was also in the Official Selection at the Sundance Film Festival. “Sirens” will star Lilas Mayassi, Shery Bechara, Maya Khairallah, Alma Doumani, Tatyana Boughaba.
Here’s the official synopsis:
On the outskirts of Beirut, Lilas and her bandmates, Shery, Maya, Alma and Tatyana (Slave to Sirens), have big dreams but few opportunities. When the band’s appearance at a UK music festival isn’t the life-changer they had hoped for, Lilas comes home to Lebanon on the brink of collapse. At the same time, the complicated relationship between Lilas and her fellow guitarist Shery starts to fracture. The future of her band, her country and her dreams now all at stake, Lilas faces a crossroad. She must decide what kind of leader she will be, not only for her band, but also as a young woman struggling to define herself in Lebanon, a country as complex as each of the Sirens themselves.
“Sirens” is set to release to theatres on September 30.