In this episode of Stream Close Up, Brian speaks with Lebanese filmmaker Karim Kassem about his latest feature, Pipes, which premiered in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Set in a remote Lebanese village, Pipes follows Hassan, a solitary farmer whose routine is disrupted when workers arrive in search of a buried water pipe. What begins as a practical task gradually becomes a quiet, humorous and deeply human reflection on isolation, community, migration and the uncertain future of rural life.
Karim discusses the unusual path that led him to filmmaking, including his years living in New York, his early work in photography and music videos, and the influence of growing up with a father who worked as a news cameraman. He also reflects on the experiences that shaped his earlier films, from temporarily losing his sight to returning to Beirut just before the devastating port explosion.
The conversation explores Karim’s preference for working with nonprofessional performers, his instinctive approach to storytelling and the balance between melancholy, absurdity and humour in his work. The episode also considers the understated performance of Ghassan Saad, who received the Crystal Globe for Best Actor for his role as Hassan in Pipes.
Topics include:
Karim’s journey from Beirut to New York and back again
The personal experiences behind his early feature films
Building stories around place, memory and real communities
Working with nonprofessional actors
The importance of silence, landscape and atmosphere
Finding humour within difficult social and political realities
The making of Pipes
Ghassan Saad’s award-winning performance
The role of film festivals in helping independent films reach wider audiences
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