Syria: On the Road to Damascus

Originally produced for the Australian Broadcasting Corp., this short documentary hosted by reporter Mark Corcoran offers a brief portrait of the Syrian political scene following the 2006 war in Lebanon between Israel and the Syrian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas. As the Syrians watched, Hezbollah successfully deflected the Israeli forces—something the Syrian army was never able to achieve, as witnessed by the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, now in its 40th year. While embracing Hezbollah and its Lebanese cleric leader Hassan Nasrallah (whose smiling face shares posters with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his father, the late President Hafez al-Assad), the Syrian government's alignment with an Islamic fundamentalist movement may have unintended consequences. Indeed, the streets of Damascus seem to have a surplus of women wearing the traditional hijab, while the mosques are buzzing with talk of a new guerrilla war against Israel. Aside from an incongruous visit to the set of a television production, where buxom distressed damsels are rescued by dashing horsemen in an Arabian Nights-worthy setting, Syria: On the Road to Damascus presents an interesting view of today's enigmatic Syrian sociopolitical landscape. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)