Taste of Cement

Synopsis

In Beirut, Syrian construction workers are building a skyscraper while, at the same time, their own houses in Syria are being shelled. The Lebanese war is over, but the Syrian one still rages on. The workers are locked in the building site, not allowed to leave it after 7:00 pm, as the Lebanese government has imposed nighttime curfews on the refugees. Their only contact with the outside world is the hole through which they climb in the morning to begin a new day of work. Cut off from their homeland, they gather at night around a small television set to get the news from Syria. They keep hoping for a different life, but they are tormented by anguish, anxiety and the deprivation of the most basic human and labour rights.

Taste of Cement has received six nominations and won three awards: International Documentary Award, Adelaide Film Festival (2017), Harrell Award, Camden International Film Festival (2017) and Grand Prix, International Feature Film Competition, Nyon Visions du Réel (2017).