THE FILMMAKER
Ismaël is a versatile artist whose work has been exhibited at different cultural centers worldwide, namely at the New York Modern Art Museum and the London Contemporary Art Institute. He is the creator of several artistic videos and experimental films. Ismaël co-directed different films for which he received awards. He is a committed artist, writing poetry and essays, making films and engaging in politics and cyber-activism. He has previously exhibited his photography, video works and installations and curated screenings as well as exhibitions in several spaces across New York, Paris and a few cities in Morocco. Born with a severe eye deficiency, his artistic and theoretical work revolves around the questioning of the image and its political shaping in a globalized world

THE RESIDENCY
Ismaël's film is a deep investigation about a pressing subject: the plight of three Syrian refugees trying to battle for survival in Lebanon, in a chaotic and dire environment. The subject of borders and displacement has been a consistent concern of the filmmaker and his sensitive and attentive filming approach gives a vital insight into this unprecedented exodus, far from a spectacular or bombastic approach.