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If you watch IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT (2023), you might get an idea about the director, and guess he has a cinematographer's eye for visuals and a humanist's approach to connecting with people. This episode proves that assessment right about director Stephen Gerard Kelly.

IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT is described as "a portrait of modern-day Lebanon as seen through the eyes of four families living in the backdrop of an infamous massacre in 1982." It's visually stunning and Stephen calls it a "bit of an emotional juggernaut."

It doesn't hold back, and neither does Stephen. If you haven’t seen the film, go rent it, come back, and let’s talk about one of the best films of 2023. 

In this episode, Stephen and I talk about:

• how he successfully utilized the cinematography of IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT to take his documentary to an extraordinary level of craftsmanship -- "I had been in New York for five years very much inspired by many great photojournalist and documentary photographers who would be in and around New York and I learned a lot";
•  his fluency in five (more?) different languages and does he see filmmaking as another way of communicating with the world? "How do you connect with the humanity in all of us? It's completely a language in its own right";
• what should people expect to see when they watch IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT? "It's a quality documentary that is a bit of an emotional juggernaut";
• his advice for moving from cinematography to directing -- "Open up. Trust people. It's a lonely road when you're walking alone for years";
• how did he blend in -- or not -- in a film about Lebanon? "Look at me, a red bearded, giant leprechaun" "It's about connection and being genuine with people and learning their language, which isn't easy";
• his feelings about the Oscars and the awards process in indie filmmaking -- he doesn't mince words! "Fuck the Oscars"; "As soon as I went into it and I saw the publicists turning their nose about the very meager budget comparatively that Screen Ireland offered up";
• the challenges of streaming and diluting independent filmmaking;
• what is he working on now and his process for filmmaking;
• fatherhood, the documentary film world, and how it influences his world and changed his perspective, especially on female filmmakers.

Links:

Watch IN THE SHADOW OF BEIRUT (2023) Now

Follow Stephen On Instagram

Stephen Gerard Kelly's Website

Watch This Episode On YouTube