Watch: Trailer for Sirens, a documentary on Lebanon’s first all-female metal band
“Any time a woman wants to be anything other than what society wants, it’s always an issue.”
Image: (l. to r.) Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara, founders of the all-female Lebanese thrash metal band Slave to Sirens, as seen in the documentary Sirens, directed by Rita Baghdadi. Image courtesy of Rita Baghdadi.
A new trailer has dropped for documentary, Sirens, which follows one of the only all-female metal band in the Middle East, Slave to Sirens, as they navigate friendship, sexuality and destruction in their home of Lebanon.
As well as following their journey to becoming respected in the wider world of thrash metal, guitarists Lilas Mayassi and Shery Bechara confront their own complicated relationship in and out of the band, which is complicated by the criminalisation of homosexuality in Lebanon. You can watch the trailer below:
Comments of support have been left under the trailer on YouTube which read, “Awesome! Really courageous women”, and “Yes! So excited to see this!”.
The documentary was directed and produced by Rita Baghdadi, an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, and its executive producers include Hollywood celebrities Maya Rudolph (Grown Ups, Bridesmaids) and Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, American Pie).
The film received its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and will open in New York (Angelika Film Center) on 30 September and Los Angeles (Laemmle Royal) on 7 October, with screenings in other cities to follow. It has already received four awards, including the Sun Valley Film Festival’s One in a Million Documentary Award.
Last month, Slave to Sirens released the single Salomé off their upcoming debut album.
The band formed back in 2016 and have played on international stages, including the UK’s esteemed Glastonbury Festival. Their first EP release, Terminal Leeches, comprised four tracks and is available to listen to on Spotify.
You can keep up to date with what the band get up to on their official Instagram page, and you can also find out more about the documentary at sirens.oscilloscope.net.