{"id":38210,"date":"2025-06-03T11:41:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T11:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/?p=38210"},"modified":"2025-06-15T09:18:30","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T09:18:30","slug":"syrian-cinema-rising-from-the-rubble-awaiting-a-green-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/03\/06\/2025\/syrian-cinema-rising-from-the-rubble-awaiting-a-green-light\/","title":{"rendered":"Syrian Cinema: Rising from the Rubble, Awaiting a Green Light"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After decades of ideological control and marginalization, Syrian cinema is once again opening its windows to the world. With a heavy historical burden and fresh aspirations, this artistic rebirth comes at a pivotal moment, following the fall of an authoritarian regime that ruled for 54 years. While golden opportunities now glimmer on the horizon, real progress still hinges on political will and bold cultural vision.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>A New Scene from the Rubble<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emerging from the rubble of a 14-year war, Syrian cinema is becoming one of the most compelling faces of the country\u2019s cultural transformation. Long shackled by censorship and propaganda, dating back to the banning of Osama Mohammad\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stars in Broad Daylight<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1988), the industry is now entering a new era of creative freedom and diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Filmmakers like Ayham Arsan see this moment as a crossroads. &#8220;For decades, Syrian cinema was little more than a mouthpiece for state propaganda,&#8221; Arsan told <\/span><b>+963<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, pointing to the long-standing control exerted by the state-run General Organization for Cinema.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>A Troubled History and a Burdened Memory<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Syria\u2019s film industry isn\u2019t new. It began in 1928 with <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Innocent Suspect<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Rashid Jalal and has struggled through political upheaval ever since. After the Baath Party seized power in 1963, it established the General Organization for Cinema, which monopolized film import and distribution while imposing a rigid ideological narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although production peaked in 1974 with 18 films, it later decreased to near zero by the late 1980s. Film critic Nidal Qushha explained to <\/span><b>+963 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that &#8220;true creative freedom remained elusive until the 2011 uprising,&#8221; which gave birth to a wave of revolutionary cinema, films like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taste of Cement<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Sama<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her Stories<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offered raw, local perspectives and won international acclaim.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/28\/03\/2025\/the-deferred-democracy-in-syria\/#\">The Deferred Democracy in Syria<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Cinematic Lands\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the challenges, Syria has retained a wealth of film talent. &#8220;We have incredible crews, directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, actors of all ages,&#8221; says Arsan. And geographically, Syria offers breathtakingly diverse filming locations, from coastal mountains and the Palmyra desert to the old quarters of Damascus and the rural villages of Hauran. According to Qushha, these landscapes can cut production costs by up to 40% compared to neighbouring countries, calling this underused diversity &#8220;a visual treasure still waiting to be mined.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Investment on Hold, But Hope on the Rise<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent political changes, including the easing of international sanctions, have opened the door to potential investment. &#8220;Opportunities are more promising than ever,&#8221; says producer Mughith Deeb. &#8220;There are talks underway between the Ministry of Information and production companies from the Gulf.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s changed most, he explains, is the lifting of pre-approval censorship. This gives filmmakers more freedom to engage with real societal issues. But Deeb also urges a major overhaul of the state-run cinema institution, which he criticizes for producing &#8220;elite films no one watches.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Can TV Drama Pull Cinema Forward?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2024 study by the Arab States Broadcasting Union found that 78% of Arab audiences prefer the Syrian dialect, suggesting that the country\u2019s popular TV dramas could be a springboard for rebuilding its film industry. Qushha believes that with the right strategy, the fan base built by TV could be redirected toward cinema through smart cross-platform productions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Outdated Laws, Closed Doors<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lack of clear investment laws remains a major hurdle. &#8220;We need solid legal frameworks to protect investors and ensure returns,&#8221; Deeb insists, citing Egypt, where cinema contributes over 2.3% to GDP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also advocates for legislation to break the monopoly on film imports and to encourage building new movie theatres, Damascus, for instance, has just two. With over 350 production companies in Syria, he proposes a simple reform: require each to produce at least one film every three years instead of focusing solely on television.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Read also: <a href=\"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/17\/04\/2025\/a-nation-without-healers-syrias-medical-workforce-in-crisis\/#\">A Nation Without Healers: Syria\u2019s Medical Workforce in Crisis<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Digital Disruption and a Changing Audience<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even as opportunities grow, Syrian cinema faces stiff competition from digital platforms. According to a Damascus Research Centre study, by 2023, platforms like Netflix and Shahid captured 35% of the Syrian viewership, especially among those under 30, 70% of whom now prefer short-form content on TikTok and similar platforms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infrastructure issues compound the problem, aging equipment, poor pay, and a brain drain of skilled workers. Some technicians reportedly earn just $10 for 60 days of work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Youth Movements and Bold Ideas<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, signs of revival are emerging. One such spark is the \u201cDamascus Cinema Salon,\u201d founded in 2025 by two students from the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts. Filmmaker Mohammad argues: &#8220;We can\u2019t patch the old system, we need to tear it down and rebuild from scratch.&#8221; He calls for freeing budgets from outdated mindsets and building partnerships across the Arab world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critic Qushha remains hopeful: &#8220;With sincere efforts and cooperation, Syrian cinema can become a sustainable, profitable national industry.&#8221; Arsan agrees, concluding with cautious optimism: \u201cWe have a historic chance to build a complete cinematic ecosystem. Syrian cinema is like a tall tree, its roots are deep in tradition, and its branches are reaching for freedom.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>A New Beginning?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, Syrian cinema stands at the threshold of a long-overdue renaissance. With a rich legacy, talented professionals, and unmatched geographic variety, the ingredients for success are in place. But the revival depends on more than passion, it needs political support, updated legislation, and smart strategies for distribution and promotion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will the new government seize this moment and give Syrian cinema the green light it desperately needs? The answer is coming, and it could light up screens around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After decades of ideological control and marginalization, Syrian cinema is once again opening its windows to the world. With a heavy historical burden and fresh aspirations, this artistic rebirth comes at a pivotal moment, following the fall of an authoritarian regime that ruled for 54 years. While golden opportunities now glimmer on the horizon, real [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":38211,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"0","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"g:i a d\/m\/Y","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"5","zoom_button_in_step":"4","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Post-Regime Cinema in Syria: Breaking Free from the Script of Control"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[382,19],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[421],"class_list":["post-38210","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","category-slider"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v27.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Syrian Cinema: Rising from the Rubble, Awaiting a Green Light - 963+<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After decades of censorship and propaganda, Syrian cinema is rising from the rubble, driven by new freedoms, bold voices, and untapped creative potential.\" \/>\n<meta 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