Karim Kassem Broaches Migrant Issues in Lebanon With ‘Pipes’: ‘A Lot of People Are Being Affected by War but We Don’t See the Whole Picture’

Kassem's fifth film in five years is having its world premiere in the Crystal Globe Competition at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival

By Rafa Sales Ross

Rafa Sales Ross

Guest Contributor

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Lebanese director Karim Kassem remains one of the most prolific directors in the MENA region despite the sociopolitical instability of his home country of Lebanon. “Pipes,” having its world premiere as part of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s prestigious Crystal Globe Competition, is the director’s fifth film in five years, following highly praised works like the IDFA-winning “Octopus.”

“Pipes” marks a spinoff of sorts for the young director, who expands on the story of a small supporting character from his 2024 drama “Moondove.” That character is Hassan (Ghassan Saad), who, despite having retired from his job at the water authority, can’t stop lending a helping hand to his neighbors in a small Lebanese village. This inability to say no leaves Hassan with very little time to mourn the recent loss of a close friend, the matter made even graver when the villager discovers his friend’s death may not have been an accident after all. 

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