Scene from the film True Stories of Love, Life, Death and Sometimes Revolution
Scene from the film True Stories of Love, Life, Death and Sometimes Revolution
Scene from the film True Stories of Love, Life, Death and Sometimes Revolution

True Stories of Love, Life, Death and Sometimes Revolution

Direction
Year 
2012
Country
  • Syria
  • Denmark
Runtime
62min 
Audio Tracks 
Subtitles 

It never occurred to Syrian filmmaker Nidal Hassan and Lilibeth Rasmussen (Danish artist) that the day of their arrival to Damascus - March 16, 2011 - would be the day preceding the announcement of the uprising in Syria.
Between Damascus, Sweida and Ein Al Arab, the film tries to gather details of stories of absent women and other women who would present their own testimonies about themselves and about love, life, death and sometimes about the revolution.
Difficult months go by, friends disappear unwillingly in jails, and friends leave forcefully… and a longing to freedom, dignity and justice for which Syrians have conferred a lot of blood.
Nidal moves around with his camera in attempt to record Syrians' daily journals subjected to pain, oppression, blood and hope. Between Damascus and Copenhagen, two filmmakers from two different cultures try to tell real stories of love, life and death in the age of the revolution.


The Danish artist Lilibeth Cuenca arrived in Damascus in March last year to make a film with Nidal Hassan. The next day, the Syrian people’s uprising broke out. The film the two had actually planned about Syrian women’s struggle for a life in freedom suddenly turned into something completely different: a film about an entire people’s struggle for freedom. The two quickly decided to travel around between Damascus, Swaida and Ayn al-Arab, to gather first-hand stories about love, life and death – three topics that suddenly became all the more important in the light of the revolution. But the production of the film itself became equally dramatic. After Lilibeth’s return to Denmark, friends and acquaintances started disappearing, while Nidal continued to document the Syrian’s fight against the regime – until he also disappeared for a longer period, and left behind him a void of fear for his life. But Nidal returned, and the film, which is commissioned by DOX:LAB and could be seen in an temporary version edited by Lilibeth Cuenca at last year’s CPH:DOX, is now finally complete. A film, which more than any other is made of blood, sweat and tears – and the hope for a better future.

Details

  • Original Title
    True Stories of Love, Life, Death and Sometimes Revolution
  • Direction
  • Screenplay
    Nidal Hassan
  • Cinematography
    Nidal Hassan, Wisam Hashisho, Amjad Alsyoufi
  • Editing
    M. Ali Almaleh
  • Sound
    Rana Eid
  • Runtime
    62 min (46-90 min.)
  • Year
    2012
  • Country
    • Syria
    • Denmark
  • Format
    • Colour
  • Production
  • Festivals
    • CPH:DOX 2012 - Amnesty Award Competition
    • Dubai Film Festival 2012 – Official Competition
    • Middle East Now Film Festival 2013– Official Competition
    • 23Rd African, Asian and Latin American film Festival 2013- Official Competition - Special Mention Juries
    • Cannes Film Festival – Marche du Film – DOC Corner 2013
    • 16th Ismailia International film festival – Official Competition 2013
    • 66 Locarno film Festival 2013 – Fuori concorso: focus Syria
    • Malmo Arab film Festival – Official Competition 2013
    • Rotas and Rituals Lisbon 2013
    • Festival de vile - France 2013
    • 11th International Film Festival TOFIFEST
    • Oriental Film Festival of Geneva 2014 – Official Competition

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