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.
The Final Scene (2022)
The Final Scene brings us back to the first year of the Syrian revolution through the story of the activist Orwa Al Mokdad, who documented the events of the first year of revolution. After leaving Syria to Lebanon, Orwa presented all the material he recorded to his brother Eyas – a filmmaker based in Belgium – to complete the film he was working on to show the peaceful face of the Syrian revolution. Eyas began searching the material only to discover another face to his brother and his comrades who risked their lives to bring the revolution into reality. Defeat and loss are part of the story of the peaceful uprising against which the world was united, where the Syrian regime managed to distort it and turn that peaceful face into a violent and bloody one.
About the Filmmaker:
A Syrian Belgian filmmaker and Choreographer, Eyas Almokdad holds a Master's in Audiovisual Arts (Film) from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) 2021, an Advanced master’s degree in Audiovisual Arts from Luca School of Arts Brussels, Belgium 2013. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts – Ballet Department in Damascus – Syria in 2005.
- Year2022
- Runtime98 minutes
- LanguageArabic
- CountryBelgium
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorEyas Almokdad
- ProducerEyas Almokdad
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.
The Final Scene (2022)
The Final Scene brings us back to the first year of the Syrian revolution through the story of the activist Orwa Al Mokdad, who documented the events of the first year of revolution. After leaving Syria to Lebanon, Orwa presented all the material he recorded to his brother Eyas – a filmmaker based in Belgium – to complete the film he was working on to show the peaceful face of the Syrian revolution. Eyas began searching the material only to discover another face to his brother and his comrades who risked their lives to bring the revolution into reality. Defeat and loss are part of the story of the peaceful uprising against which the world was united, where the Syrian regime managed to distort it and turn that peaceful face into a violent and bloody one.
About the Filmmaker:
A Syrian Belgian filmmaker and Choreographer, Eyas Almokdad holds a Master's in Audiovisual Arts (Film) from The Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) 2021, an Advanced master’s degree in Audiovisual Arts from Luca School of Arts Brussels, Belgium 2013. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts – Ballet Department in Damascus – Syria in 2005.
- Year2022
- Runtime98 minutes
- LanguageArabic
- CountryBelgium
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorEyas Almokdad
- ProducerEyas Almokdad