Tramontane

Vatche Boulghourjian’s poetic and sensitive feature debut is a poignant exploration of the role of culture and storytelling in navigating the complex histories of war and life after conflict. Rabih, a young blind man, finds his life unravelling when he applies for a passport in order to tour with his choir and discovers the ID card he’s carried his whole life is a forgery. With his mother unable and his uncle unwilling to address his many questions, he sets out to find answers himself. Travelling across rural Lebanon in search of the truth, he must confront the sheer magnitude of the layers of collective silence that permeate the country’s troubled recent past. In his first acting role, real-life blind musician Barakat Jabbour bestows Rabih with a drive and persistence that are deeply moving, enhanced by his magnetic and defiant musical performances.