What Zeina Saw and What She Didn’t

In the late afternoon of August 4th, 2020, Zeina, a housemaid, makes her way home after a long day’s work. As she walks along the busy street, she reflects on how Beirut remains vibrant despite the collapse of the economy, deep political divisions, and being the subject of regional and international power struggles. When Zeina reaches her house, a huge chemical explosion occurs at Beirut’s port, the largest event of its kind since the atomic bomb hit Hiroshima. From then on, everything is changed, from the rules of nature to the very logic of existence. She witnesses unbelievable and incomprehensible things: rats licking the wounds on bleeding bodies and the sky drizzling shards of glass. Despite this, the loyal Zeina insists on returning to her employers’ home with her daughter to see what has happened to them. When she arrives, she makes a shocking discovery.