Proaction Film

They grew up in the land of dictators and surveillance, where images are censored, photos are burned, thoughts are discreet, and mouths are kept shut. They grew up in Syria.

Shot by a reported “1,001 Syrians” according to the filmmakers, SILVERED WATER, SYRIA SELF-PORTRAIT impressionistically documents the destruction and atrocities of the civil war through a combination of eye-witness accounts shot on mobile phones and posted to the internet, and footage shot by Bedirxan during the siege of Homs. Bedirxan, an elementary school teacher in Homs, had contacted Mohammed online to ask him what he would film, if he was there. Mohammed, working in forced exile in Paris, is tormented by feelings of cowardice as he witnesses the horrors from afar, and the self-reflexive film also chronicles how he is haunted in his dreams by a Syrian boy once shot to death for snatching his camera on the street.

Filmed over 3 years in Homs, accompanying 2 outstanding young men from the time they were only dreaming of freedom to the time when they are forced to change course. Basset, the 19yo national football team goalkeeper, who became an outspoken demonstration leader in the city, then an icon revolution singer, till he becomes a fighter... a militia leader. Ossama, his 24yo friend, renowned citizen journalist, cynical pacifist... as his views are forced to change, until he is detained by army secret service. It is the story of a city, of which the world have heard a lot, but never really got closer than news, never really had the chance to experience how a war erupted. a modern times epic of youth in war time.

Summer of 2011. Abdel Basset Sarout, an already renowned 19-year-old footballer, becomes one of the leaders of the peaceful demonstrations in Homs that take to the streets every Friday in defiance of Bashar el-Assad's regime. His improvised songs against the dictatorship inflamed the city's youth. He is the leader of a fiery band of chabab (young people) determined to do battle with the regime, including a 24-year-old videographer, Osama, who prefers the role of witness to that of fighter. Little by little, under his eyes and those of director Talal Derki, as the regime targets the civilian population, the young dissidents are transformed into warriors. From autumn onwards, massive bombardments pounded the "capital of the revolution".

A young Syrian woman doesn't share her parents' beliefs, but she's still been locked up inside their belief system all her life. Because she is a young woman, her parents almost never allow her to leave the house, let alone participate in activities against the Syrian regime. But she rebels anyway. She writes and sings protest songs in secret, in the hope that they will encourage others to start thinking for themselves, and to believe in a better tomorrow with more freedom. For 37 minutes, we watch and hear about what motivates this young woman. Neither she nor the people around her ever appear identifiable on-screen. Even the voices are manipulated to keep the chance of recognition to a minimum.

Silence is an emotional investigation of sense and senselessness in the conflict over the occupied Golan Heights and the events leading to its loss.

Exploring the daily life of a Damascene ambitious woman, while the Muslim Barbie, Fulla, is invading the daily life of everyone!