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.
Damascus Dreams (2021)
Damascus Dreams follows a filmmaker’s journey to her inaccessible homeland as she composes a Syria that stands somewhere between reality and myth, dream and nightmare, past and present.
About the Filmmaker:
Born to a Syrian father and a Belgium mother, Émilie Serri is a Montreal-based filmmaker and installation artist. Distributed by LightCone in Paris, her work has traveled in festivals internationally and in artist centers and galleries throughout Canada. In 2018, she won the Bronfman award in contemporary art. Her first feature film, "Damascus Dreams," premiered at IFFR in the Bright Future category in 2021 and won the international critics’ award (FIPRESCI) at FNC in Montreal.
- Year2021
- Runtime83 minutes
- LanguageArabic, French
- CountryCanada
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorÉmilie Serri
- ProducerÉmilie Serri
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.
Damascus Dreams (2021)
Damascus Dreams follows a filmmaker’s journey to her inaccessible homeland as she composes a Syria that stands somewhere between reality and myth, dream and nightmare, past and present.
About the Filmmaker:
Born to a Syrian father and a Belgium mother, Émilie Serri is a Montreal-based filmmaker and installation artist. Distributed by LightCone in Paris, her work has traveled in festivals internationally and in artist centers and galleries throughout Canada. In 2018, she won the Bronfman award in contemporary art. Her first feature film, "Damascus Dreams," premiered at IFFR in the Bright Future category in 2021 and won the international critics’ award (FIPRESCI) at FNC in Montreal.
- Year2021
- Runtime83 minutes
- LanguageArabic, French
- CountryCanada
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorÉmilie Serri
- ProducerÉmilie Serri