Cadillac Blues (2002)
Cadillac Blues is the story of three days in the life of two Lebanese brothers, Omar and Ryan. They are very close. They live together, sharing the living space, the mobile phone, and a huge old Cadillac. We don’t know where their parents are. But they are present only in the boys’ conversations.
How do you measure closeness? Is it the same as physical proximity? Omar has a secret night life, which has its share of drug content. Ryan has an even bigger secret. Each one of them uses the Cadillac to live out his other life. It is the only space where they can act out their secrets. The Cadillac is vast on the inside, but it’s confined and claustrophobic. The only time we see it from the outside is the night when by the force of circumstance, the brothers are pushed into talking. What will happen when they are faced with the possibility of bringing their lives home?
Through a series of dreams and hallucinations, we get a glimpse into Ryan’s mental state before his brother does. We are given the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a young man struggling for fresh air in the stuffy environment of the margins. He is down with the Cadillac blues.
About director:
Mazen KHALED was born in Lebanon. He studied public policy and political studies in Beirut and Washington, DC. He worked as a creative director at various advertising agencies, directing television
commercials and corporate films. He is also one of the founders of EXIST, an arts collective in Beirut.
