‘Under the sky of Damascus - Heba Khaled, Talal Derki & Ali Wajeeh’

A tight-knit group of young Syrian women embark upon on a radical project: producing a play that lays bare the culture of misogyny and sexual abuse that has blighted the lives of females in their country for generations. Collaborating with exiled Syrian filmmakers Heba Khaled, Talal Derki and Ali Wajeeh in Damascus, the women fan out through the war-weary city to gather individual stories that will form the basis of their play.

Heba Khaled (1986, Damascus) studied Arabic Literature at Damascus University. In 2014, she directed her short-movie People of the Wasteland. The same year, she assisted the filmmaker Talal Derki in the direction of his film Of Fathers and Sons.

Talal Derki (1977, Damascus) studied film directing in Athens. Both of his films Return to Homs and Of Fathers and Sons won the Grand Jury Award at Sundance Film Festival 2014 and 2018. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Of Fathers and Sons. ​​​​​​

Ali Wajeeh (1985, Lattakia) has been working as film critic for Arab newspapers and websites for many years and as scriptwriters for several Arab TV series, short movies, and plays. He has also been drama consultant for production companies and platforms.

The screening will be followed by an online conversation with Heba Khaled and Talal Derki (filmmakers) moderated by Brigitte Herremans.