The complex relationship of contemporary Beirutis to their troubled home city is beautifully imagined in Ely Dagher’s Palme d’Or-winning ‘Waves ‘98’. In the late 1990s, young Omar is disillusioned by his life in the Lebanese capital, where the news is always troublesome and nothing ever seems to change. When he is drawn to a mysterious portal leading to another dimension, for a time Omar is at peace, but eventually the draw of Beirut is inescapable. Distinguished by an intriguing mix of animation and live-action footage, ‘Waves ‘98’ is a moving meditation on the contradiction of feeling lost at home.