Damian Lazarus just knew that he needed a cinematic vehicle for his latest album, Heart of Sky. Released earlier this year via Crosstown Rebels, the album has such a soundtracking quality that it was perfect when the London producer encountered filmmaker Jessy Moussallem to commission the project. In it, Lazarus found a “special filmmaker who could take various strands of the music from the album and weave them together in one visual masterpiece, instead of going down the tried and tested route of short music videos.”

Moussallem had been scouting for other films in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley when she encountered “a beautiful green stretch of marijuana” and stopped to admire the women tending to their crop. Cannabis, of course, is illegal in Lebanon, but is cultivated in a controversial, political way, “operated and protected by political sectarian militias who benefit from the profits.” As Mousallem began to explore the details of this and the people and livelihoods behind this black market industry, her documentary concept grew and alongside Lazarus, became an intricate exploration of humanity, now backed by Lazarus’s eponymous musical journey.

Watch the 14-minute piece here.

H/T: NOWNESS

Tags: Damian Lazarus, The Ancient Moons

Categories: Videos