‘Tripoli / A Tale of Three Cities’ Picked Up by Filmotor

Prague-based sales outlet Filmotor has secured international rights for Lebanese director Raed Rafei’s documentary “Tripoli / A Tale of Three Cities,” which has its world premiere in the Frontlight section of IDFA film festival.

In the film, queer director Rafei returns to Tripoli in Lebanon to confront a hometown that once rejected him. He interviews the city’s inhabitants about their cultural and social beliefs and their embrace of new ideas. This contemplative film paints a picture of a city paralyzed by a deep economic crisis, a faltering revolution, and a looming doomsday.

“Raed’s deeply personal story addresses crucial themes that resonate across cultures,” Michaela Cajkova, founder of Filmotor, said. “We value that his film explores the queer experience in the Islamic world, alongside complex notions of emigration and belonging, with the potential to ignite important conversations.”

Looking beyond IDFA, Cajkova said the company would target LGBTQ+, human rights and Arab film festivals, and those that highlight social justice themes.

“Given Raed’s academic background, we plan to focus on educational screenings at campuses and libraries in North America to foster discussion on the film’s themes. Additionally, engaging with social media campaigns, discussion panels, and collaborations with LGBTQ+ NGOs can help amplify the film’s message and reach a broader audience,” Cajkova said.

In a statement, Rafei said: “Tripoli is my hometown. It’s where I was raised and where my roots are. As a queer child, I have always felt alienated by the city’s heteronormative dominant culture. But since I started residing elsewhere, every time I return to visit, I feel an unexplainable magnetic pull towards it.

“Through cinema, I found ways to reorient myself in the city. The film importantly deconstructs the origins of the homophobic discourse but also explores the depth and complexity of belonging to one’s hometown. My positionality as both a native of Tripoli and an outsider to it allowed me to explore the city’s multiple facets, as both a real space and an imagined, fantasized entity.

“From a queer lens, the film is a poetic reflection on the crucial and dramatic moments that Lebanon has experienced in the past few years in anticipation of the current devastating war.”

“Tripoli / A Tale of Three Cities” is produced by Raed Rafei of Anwar Film and Eliane Raheb. Raheb’s film “Miguel’s War” won the Teddy Award at the Berlinale Film Festival in 2021.