The early years of the Syrian civil war are depicted from the perspective of a group of friends in this PBS-aired POV documentary by Andreas Dalsgaard and Obaidah Zytoon, which employs footage that Zytoon—a former Damascus radio DJ—shot between 2011-13, mostly in the capital and in her hometown of Zabadani. The War Show begins in the heady days when resistance to the Assad regime suddenly exploded and Zytoon joined spontaneous demonstrations aimed at bringing an end to long-suffering repression. But the government later responded with brutal force and the streets became sites for pitched battles rather than peaceful dissent. Zytoon introduces her fellow rebels—law student Lulu and her poet boyfriend Hisham; heavy metal drummer Rabea; economics student Amal; architecture student Houssam; and dental student Argha—following them conflict escalates into full civil war. Not all survive, and they become poignant symbols of the many thousands who have fallen. The film also underscores the naïveté of many who took to the streets—in Syria and elsewhere—during the initial stages of the Arab Spring, believing that their voices alone might bring about change, while also illustrating how fragmentation into moderate and radical elements—sometimes manipulated by the regime—weakened the rebellion and prolonged the violence. Offering a moving portrait of the personal side of a war that shows no signs of abating, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The War Show
(2016) 104 min. In Arabic & English w/English subtitles. DVD: $149 ($349 w/PPR). DRA. Bond Educator (avail. from www.filmmovement.com). Volume 32, Issue 5
The War Show
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