Sirens

Beirut-based all-female thrash metal band Slave to Sirens are enfants terribles in their homeland, but a sensation for Western audiences. And for many in Lebanon, the issue is not only the musical style, but also the musicians’ sexual orientation. The band leaders are guitarists Lilas and Shery, who are united not only by a shared love for heavy music, but also a romantic past. Queer relations are still taboo in Lebanese society, however, and Lilas must hide her true self even from her own mother, who has a different idea of the "proper life”. And when Lilas finds a new girlfriend outside Lebanon, the unresolved relationship begins to suffocate the otherwise harmonious group. The drama within the band unfolds against the backdrop of turbulent events in the country, which over several months has been struck by economic problems, large-scale anti-government demonstrations and a devastating explosion in the port of Beirut. (One World)