Tales of Art from Syria: Syria Film Festival 2024

The festival takes place at Cinéma Galeries in Brussels and will showcase four films, for which the screenings will take place on 6, 16, 23 and 28 May: “Ibn al Am and Ibn al Am online”, “The final scene”, “Omar Amiralay: Sorrow, time and silence” and “Under the Sky of Damascus”. All the screenings are open to the public and free of charge. You can book your tickets here.

Additionally to the four film screenings, the cultural program organised by the EU in the context of the #SyriaConf2024 features two immersive visual arts experiences with a vernissage, and a closing concert. Please click here to view the full programme.

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

6 May, 6:30pm: “Ibn al Am and Ibn al Am online" by Mohammed Ali Atassi 

Ibn al Am (2001) and Ibn al Am Online (2011) shed light on the courageous life of Riad al-Turk, a veteran Syrian opposition leader who spent nearly two decades in prison for his political activism and for speaking out against his country’s dictatorial regime.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the film director and a light buffet.

16 May, 9pm: “The Final Scene” by Eyas Almokdad 

The film (2021) revisits the early days of the Syrian revolution, following activist Orwa Al Mokdad's journey. Orwa, who documented the revolution's initial year, later entrusted his footage to his brother Eyas, a filmmaker in Belgium. Upon reviewing the footage, Eyas discovers a new angle on Orwa and his comrades, who risked their lives to break the silence. The screening will be preceded by an art vernissage starting at 7:30pm.

23 May, 6:30pm : “Omar Amiralay - Sorrow, Time, Silence” by Hala Alabdallah

This documentary (2021) pays tribute to the Syrian filmmaker Omar Amiralay, whose activism and political cinema defied censorship. Largely filmed on a visit to Damascus in 2009, Alabdalla’s moving posthumous portrait of Amiralay is rooted in three decades of friendship and shared revolutionary fervour.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the film director and a reception.

28 May, 9pm: “Under the Sky of Damascus” by H. Khaled, T. Derki and A. Wajeeh 

This documentary (2023) chronicles the brave initiative of a tight-knit group of young Syrian women as they strive to expose the culture of misogyny and abuse in Syria. Through the production of a play, they confront societal norms, knowing the personal and professional challenges they may face as a result.