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Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
News article7 June 2023Service for Foreign Policy Instruments

Journey into the heart of Syria: Movie Festival in the framework of the #SyriaConf2023

In the margins of the Brussels VII Conference on "Supporting the future of Syria and the region" organised by the EU on 14-15 June 2023, the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments of the European Commission supports a Syria film festival.  

Film festival

The film festival is organised in partnership with the Millennium Festival. The programme of the Festival includes three film screenings that will take place on 12, 13 and 16 June at CIVA Museum : “The translator”, “Nezouh” and “The lost souls of Syria”. All the screenings are open to public and free of charge. You can book your tickets in advance on the Millennium Festival webpage.

In addition to the Film Festival, the cultural agenda of the #SyriaConf2023 includes  a photo-exhibition, “storytelling nights” with exceptional guests, and a closing concert. All events are free of charge.

Here is a sneak peek into the remarkable films featuring in the Festival Programme:

12 June, 19:00: The Translator

The Translator

Set in March 2011, this political thriller - which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival - details the journey of Sami, an Arabic-English translator, to find his brother who has been arrested by the Assad regime for participating in a peaceful demonstration. Along the way, Sami discovers his own voice. Based on real events, this narrative fiction film is meant to honour those who stand up to the brutality of political oppression, as well as honour the initial hope that inspired Syrians to demonstrate peacefully.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the movie directors around the theme of “Missing Persons.”

13 June, 19:00: Nezouh

Nezouh

A shell rips a giant hole in building in Damascus where 14-year-old Zeina and her family live, suddenly exposing them to the outside world. When a young boy lowers a rope through the opening in the family’s roof, Zeina discovers her first taste of freedom.

 

16 June, 19:00: The lost souls of Syria

The lost souls of Syria

27,000 photos of civilian detainees tortured to death were stolen from the Syrian regime’s secret archives by a military defector codenamed Caesar, and made public in 2014.  Director Stéphan Malterre and co-author and historical advisor Garance Le Caisne investigated to what extent international justice proves impotent in prosecuting the criminal Syrian state. As the case seems doomed to oblivion, victims’ families, along with activists and Caesar himself, seek truth and justice through state courts across Europe instead. More than five years of investigations and fighting will lead to the first trial against high officials of the Syrian death machine.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the documentary directors around the theme of “Detention”.

Details

Publication date
7 June 2023
Author
Service for Foreign Policy Instruments