Lebanon

86′14″, 2022.

DIRECTED BY

Benjamin Rost, Hicham Bourais

PRODUCED BY

Seloua Elgouni

SCRIPTWRITER

Hicham Bourais

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Jonas Schneider

EDITED BY

Erec Brehmer

Imad, Nourdine, Walid and Hamza live in a stone cave under a lighthouse in Melilla. Every night, the Moroccan teenagers break into the nearby port. There, they try to climb unnoticed onto ships bound for the Spanish mainland. They and dozens of other children have formed their own community under the protection of the rocks. Director Benjamin Rost documents the impressive lives of the young people over a period of five years. The film's title describes the widespread practice of illegal North African immigrants burning their papers, and thus their identities, when apprehended by police. A poignant documentary that offers a glimpse into an unknown world.

Benjamin Rost works as director and activist in Europe and Africa. He studied Directing at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and Philosophy in Munich. With his Debut Project Harraga - Those who burn their lives he participated at Documentary Campus Masterschool. His films were screened at various international festivals like Dok Leipzig, Dok.Fest München, Camerimage. Hicham Bourais was born in Fez. Since he had no option to study cinema in Morrocco, he moved to Spain in 2000. Having to end his studies after his father’s death, he also lost his student residence card and lived for more than four years without papers in the country. With the help of a Spanish friend he moved to Madrid for work, eventually enrolling in Pedro Almodóvar's film school. Hicham works in Film Projects as editor, translator and director and lives in Zaragoza, Spain.