Jessy Moussallem
Director
Beirut, Lebanon
Born and raised in Beirut, Jessy Moussallem wrote and directed a music video for pop band Mashrou' Leila in 2017 - a film that included one hundred cast members in an ode to the strength and grace of Arab women. The film trended &s number one on YouTube, was nominated at the UKMVA and the Cannes Glass Lions, won gold at the Young Director Award and was showcased at the Riddley Scott conference as one of the most inspiring films in 2017. In 2018, Moussallem continued using her native Lebanon playing as the backdrop in a study of heroics and masculinity for French DJ Agoriaʼs song Embrace and & 15 minute short film on the communities that cultivate the countryʼs infamous red hashish for Damian Lazarusʼ album Heart of sky. This determined young directorʼs work is characterised by the raw humanity of her subjects and the mastery of her visions, rich with emotion and & nuanced insistance on freedom.
