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’

Lebanese director Karim Kassem premieres "Pipes" at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, marking his fifth feature in five years while tackling migration and war's hidden costs. The film enters the Crystal Globe Competition, the festival's top tier for international cinema.

Kassem has become one of the MENA region's most prolific auteurs despite Lebanon's ongoing political and economic collapse. His rapid output reflects both creative urgency and determination to document stories overshadowed by larger geopolitical narratives. "Pipes" centers migrant communities affected by conflict, territories Kassem argues remain invisible in broader conversations about war's impact.

"A lot of people are being affected by war but we don't see the whole picture," Kassem explains. The film zeroes in on populations typically excluded from mainstream coverage, examining how displacement and migration reshape lives in the shadow of larger crises. This thematic focus aligns with Kassem's broader artistic mission: capturing marginalized perspectives in a region saturated with coverage of headline-grabbing events.

The director's prolific pace stands out in a film industry where resources remain scarce and conditions unstable. Lebanon's banking collapse, dollar shortage, and ongoing instability have crippled local production capacity. Yet Kassem continues working, suggesting either exceptional resourcefulness or a conviction that storytelling cannot pause for bureaucratic or financial obstacles.

His presence at Karlovy Vary, one of Europe's premier festival circuits, underscores his international standing. The Czech festival's Crystal Globe Competition attracts auteur-driven work that interrogates social realities. Kassem's inclusion positions "Pipes" alongside prestige world cinema addressing migration, displacement, and conflict.

The film arrives amid renewed regional tensions affecting Lebanon directly. Kassem's insistence on centering migrant voices represents counter-programming to conflict narratives that privilege military or political frameworks.