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Voices from Syria, which premieres December 1, 2020, is a curated selection of four documentaries, including Harmony for After War (Pablo Tosco and Migue Roth), Wajd: Songs of Separation (Amar Chebib), A House for the Syrians (Nadine Beaudet and Christian Mathieu Fournier) and The Rest (Ai Weiwei).


And to kick off the festival on December 1, 2020, at 20:00 EST, join us for a livestreamed conversation with Syrian-Canadian filmmaker Amar Chebib, hosted by Maryam Shah from the Toronto Star.


The proceeds from this event will be donated to Matthew House Ottawa, a shelter offering essential support to refugee claimants.



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Inspired by the traditional sacred music of Syria, filmmaker Amar Chebib travelled to Damascus and Aleppo in 2010. Six months later the revolution began, escalating into a bloody civil war and one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time. Touched by the harrowing experiences of the friends he made, Wajd transformed into the stories of three musicians turned refugees. Over the course of five years, we witness the struggles of Ibrahim, Abdulwahed and Mohamed as they face their traumatic past. Forced to rebuild their lives in exile, they turn to their love of music to help them find meaning in the aftermath of destruction and atrocity. Intimate footage of their daily lives weaves together with bittersweet musical performances, rare Sufi ceremonies, and poetic imagery of a pre-war Syria that no longer exists. What unfolds is a cinematic meditation on loss, yearning, and faith.

  • Year
    2018
  • Runtime
    87 minutes
  • Language
    Arabic, English, Turkish
  • Country
    Canada
  • Note
    with English subtitles
  • Director
    Amar Chebib
  • Producer
    Dima Alansari, Lindsey Ridgway, Amar Chebib
  • Sound Design
    Jeremy Therrien