Sirens (سايرنز)

"Metal is all about sacrifice." The five musicians of Slave To Sirens, who defy conformity in society, are in complete agreement about this. Lebanon is known as the most progressive country in the Middle East, but even there it's not easy for five women to play in a metal band. Certainly not if you belong to the lgbtq+ community, like Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara. The two guitarists of the band once had a relationship and the break-up is still palpable. But in Sirens, director Rita Baghdadi concentrates on the band's struggle against prejudice, and especially on the passion that keeps the fire burning in the quintet. Baghdadi also has a fine eye for the bustling, noisy and demanding city that it Beirut. Sirens, filmed partly after the city's horrific port incident, is an ode to undaunted perseverance.

“Trying to make it in the music industry is hard enough, but when you're the only all-woman thrash metal band in the Middle East, it's even harder. In the documentary Sirens, the group known as Slave To Sirens has to deal with the struggles of their people in the tumultuous and unraveling city of Beirut.” - Slash Film