Would you rather direct a music video with zero budget but total creative freedom, or have a million-dollar budget with a label breathing down your neck? That’s just one of the spicy dilemmas filmmaker Eli Salameh faces in Episode 7 of #HOTSAUCEHOTBOSS.
But this isn’t your average director’s chair Q&A. Nope, we’re turning up the heat, literally. From spelling tests (does Eli really know how to spell “maneuver”? Or will BURO’s chillis put his tongue to the test?) to trivia challenges (pop quiz: which company was originally called Cadabra? Think you know? So did he…), we’re putting Eli’s cool under fire.
Of course, we also dive into the serious stuff: the hardest music video he’s ever shot, how he balances artistry with industry pressure, and why storytelling always trumps spectacle. But don’t worry, this is still #HOTSAUCEHOTBOSS. Expect laughs, unexpected truths, and a little bit of sweat.
WHO’S ELI SALAMEH?
Eli Salameh isn’t just a filmmaker, he’s the guy turning Middle Eastern beats into cinematic moments. A Lebanese film director and photographer (and yes, a 2019 Sundance Ignite Fellow, no big deal), Eli has a knack for weaving poetry into visuals.
Graduating with honors (twice!) from the Lebanese University’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture, earning Masters in both Film Directing and Cinematography, Eli took the scenic route to the music video industry. Since 2020, he’s collaborated with artists across Lebanon, the Middle East, and Europe, from Adonis Band to Zef, Zeyne, and You Said Strange.
But music videos aren’t his only playground. His short films, each with a lyrical, human pulse, have traveled far and wide:
- Fly My Love (Vole Mon Amour), 2016
- Aryan, 2017
- The Boy Who Wore the Sun (Soleil, Mon Amour), 2018
- Exit Beirut, 2019 — his first indie short, the one that scored him the Sundance Ignite Fellowship
- A Room with a View (Un Autre Jour d’Été), 2022
What makes Eli, well, Eli? He’s as comfortable behind the camera as he is in the chaos of a music set. He sees cinema in the ordinary, and he’s not afraid to get messy, or spicy, while chasing it.
Episode 7 drops with a fiery mix of trivia, storytelling, and of course, hot sauce. Buckle up—because this one burns.
