Canadian-Lebanese Drama ‘Valley Of Exile’, About Syrian Refugee Crisis, Wraps Challenging Shoot

deadline.com:

EXCLUSIVE: Canadian-Lebanese co-production Valley Of Tears has wrapped after a challenging shoot which had to contend with Lebanon’s collapsing economy, the pandemic and a refugee camp setting.The feature film debut of Iranian-Canadian writer-director Anna Fahr (My Life in Limbo) has wrapped principal photography in Beirut, Lebanon, after lensing for the most part in a real-life refugee settlement in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.The indie feature follows the story of two Syrian sisters (played by non-professional actors) desperate to reunite with what remains of their family but who come to realize that their journey together into exile is ultimately a test of loyalty to each other.

Above and below are first-look images from the film.Produced by Toronto-based Morning Bird Pictures in collaboration with Beirut-based Placeless Films, the project was supported by Game Theory Films’ Black, Indigenous and People of Colour Distribution Fund.

Fahr produces with Lara Abou Saifan.Paul Scherzer of Six Island Productions (Saint-Narcisse) and Aeschylus Poulos of Hawkeye Pictures (Sleeping Giant) are executive producers.

Game Theory Films acquired the Canadian distribution rights in December 2020; international rights on the title remain open.Fahr said of the movie: “As a filmmaker who has been working in Lebanon for over a decade, I wanted to tell a story that reflects on the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis from the perspective of two young women who are navigating their new lives as refugees in Lebanon.”The filmmaker continued: “Although it’s no longer dominating the news, this crisis continues to unfold against the backdrop of many others that are impacting the lives of millions of people living in Lebanon today.