On August 4th, 2020, an explosion like no other rocked the picturesque city of Beirut just before sunset. It was declared as the sixth-largest non-nuclear-related blast in history as approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in Beirut’s main port. The incident rocked a nation that was already in the middle of a turbulent political and social climate. 200 people were killed and thousands of more were injured.

Hiroshima Beirut

Beirut Hold’em depicts the life of Ziko, a 40-year old ex-con and petty gambler, and his three boyhood friends, in a seedy, lower-middle class district of Beirut. They’re fighting their way into a country on the edge of war and bankruptcy, where instability makes everyday life feel like Russian roulette, and sheer existence is yet another form of gambling.