Lebanese director Ghassan Salhab’s upcoming project “The Last City” has been acquired by Dubai-based sales company Mad World. The film is set in a collapsing Beirut overrun by vampires and is being produced by Tania El-Khoury from Lebanon, in collaboration with Khamsin Films (Lebanon) and Les Films de l’Altaï (France), with support from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, CNC, and Cairo-based indie distributor Mad Solutions.
As a standout in Lebanon’s arthouse scene, Salhab has gained acclaim for previous works like “Terra Incognita,” “The Last Man,” “The Mountain,” and “The Valley,” all of which have premiered at prestigious festivals. The narrative structure of “The Last City” is divided into five non-consecutive nights, retracing the final weeks of the Lebanese capital as it falls prey to vampires searching for new victims.
Mad World, the sales company behind this acquisition, aims to showcase the wealth of Arab filmmaking talent on the global stage. Co-presidents Alaa Karkouti and Maher Diab express excitement about working with filmmakers like Salhab, known for his unique perspective and over 15 films spanning various genres in the past 25 years.