We Syrians are haunted by the wind. The saying goes, “be ready, the past is coming.” And I say, “be ready, Syrian films are coming like the wind.” -Ahmad Alhaj
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is a series of autobiographical Syrian fiction and documentary films exploring migration, grief, memory and history following the political instability of the Arab Spring. Within this program, the wind is understood to be the central metaphor that represents destiny and which links the films together. Whether through unleashing its wrath, or by leading in flight, the wind is an element that guides the lives of countless people in ways unseen. Primarily shot across North America and Europe, the films present deeply humanizing narratives of Syrian experiences, shedding light of the contradictions and irreconcilable realities of longing for a past that haunts the present.
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is curated by Ahmad Alhaj and presented by ArteEast. This program is part of the legacy program Unpacking the ArteArchive, which preserves and presents 20 years of film and video programming by ArteEast. The program will be screened online on artearchive.org from April 11 - 21. The in-person screening takes place on Sunday, April 21 at IAIA, Institute of Arab and Islamic Art.
Memory is a Dying Horse (2021)
Trying to freeze time is an illusion. Whatever we do, life unfolds in one direction. Memory is a dying horse is yet another desperate attempt to challenge the irreversibility of time. A sparse, raw, somehow childish collage of reminiscences filmed on Super 8 between Syria, France and Canada. The whole is accompanied by musical explorations.
About the Filmmaker:
Samer Najari (1976, Russia) was born in Moscow to a Syrian father and a Lebanese mother. He began his studies in architecture at the University of Damascus at the age of 18. Since immigrating to Canada in 1994, he has completed a BFA in Film Production at Concordia University. In 2001, he took part in a two-year residency at the Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France. Since his return to Canada, Samer Najari has directed two internationally acclaimed short films.
- Year2021
- Runtime28 minutes
- CountryCanada
- DirectorSamer Najari
- ProducerSamer Najari
We Syrians are haunted by the wind. The saying goes, “be ready, the past is coming.” And I say, “be ready, Syrian films are coming like the wind.” -Ahmad Alhaj
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is a series of autobiographical Syrian fiction and documentary films exploring migration, grief, memory and history following the political instability of the Arab Spring. Within this program, the wind is understood to be the central metaphor that represents destiny and which links the films together. Whether through unleashing its wrath, or by leading in flight, the wind is an element that guides the lives of countless people in ways unseen. Primarily shot across North America and Europe, the films present deeply humanizing narratives of Syrian experiences, shedding light of the contradictions and irreconcilable realities of longing for a past that haunts the present.
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is curated by Ahmad Alhaj and presented by ArteEast. This program is part of the legacy program Unpacking the ArteArchive, which preserves and presents 20 years of film and video programming by ArteEast. The program will be screened online on artearchive.org from April 11 - 21. The in-person screening takes place on Sunday, April 21 at IAIA, Institute of Arab and Islamic Art.
Memory is a Dying Horse (2021)
Trying to freeze time is an illusion. Whatever we do, life unfolds in one direction. Memory is a dying horse is yet another desperate attempt to challenge the irreversibility of time. A sparse, raw, somehow childish collage of reminiscences filmed on Super 8 between Syria, France and Canada. The whole is accompanied by musical explorations.
About the Filmmaker:
Samer Najari (1976, Russia) was born in Moscow to a Syrian father and a Lebanese mother. He began his studies in architecture at the University of Damascus at the age of 18. Since immigrating to Canada in 1994, he has completed a BFA in Film Production at Concordia University. In 2001, he took part in a two-year residency at the Le Fresnoy - Studio National des Arts Contemporains in France. Since his return to Canada, Samer Najari has directed two internationally acclaimed short films.
- Year2021
- Runtime28 minutes
- CountryCanada
- DirectorSamer Najari
- ProducerSamer Najari