Sean McAllister Q&A in Riga, Latvia
BalticSeaDocs 2015, Q&A with Sean McAllister, September 3, Riga, Latvia from National Film Centre Latvia on Vimeo.
Tag: Sean McAllister
HeyUGuys
A Syrian Love Story
A wonderful, powerful piece of filmmaking
For anyone who has felt outraged by the dehumanisation of refugees across the media, A Syrian Love Story is a welcome tonic. Filmed over 5 years, the film documents the relationship between Raghda and Amer. Ragdha is released from prison after serving time for her activism against the Assad regime in Syria, and this is where the film begins.
See the full review by Nia Childs on the HeyUGuys website
The Hollywood Reporter
A Syrian Love Story
A Syrian Love Story is another remarkable chapter in the English director’s journalistic forays into the Middle East’s hottest hot spots
Here again McAllister plays the role of the (mostly) off-screen reporter who is so thoroughly embedded in the life of his subjects that he seems like a member of the family. Though at first the story is told through Amer’s sad eyes and his halting but poetic English, Raghda eventually is given a voice and emerges as an extraordinary woman in her own right, torn — as Amer perceptively remarks — between being Che Guevara and a mother.
See the complete review by Deborah Young in The Hollywood Reporter
Open Democracy
A Syrian Love Story
An intimate portrait of a Syrian family torn apart by war
Ragda and Amer met in Assad’s prisons: he had been a Palestinian freedom fighter and she was a Syrian revolutionary, and he saw her through a hole in his cell wall, bruised and bloodied from a beating by Assad’s thugs.
See the complete review by Mariam Ali on the Open Democracy website
The Independent
A Syrian Love Story
Heartbreaking portrait of a marriage unravelling
The couple, who met in prison, became the subjects of what first seemed like a conventional political documentary. Then, after Raghda’s release, this remarkable film turned into something else. Shot over five years, it became a heartbreaking portrait of a marriage unravelling. It is testament to the trust the subjects place in McAllister that they allow him to document their most intimate, vulnerable moments.
See the full review by Geoffrey McNab on The Independent website
The Guardian
A Syrian Love Story
A searing insight into a marriage under fire
This unmissable documentary uncovers the heartbreaking story of a couple whose relationship disintegrates as they flee the horrors of Syria… This is love among the ruins
See the full review by Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian
Sheffield Doc/Fest Award
A Syrian Love Story has won the coveted Grand Jury award at the Sheffield Doc/Fest… Grand Jury member Ruby Chen said: “The Jury were enamoured by this Bergmanesque portrait of a relationship and love, taking place against an ever-changing and tumultuous backdrop. Delivering unusual gender portraits it explores vulnerabilities, looking at the concept of belonging, providing a unique and intimate portrait of disillusionment.”
Read all about it on the BBC News website
Docs On Screens
Sean McAllister on his Syrian Labour of Love
British documentary filmmaker Sean McAllister is known for launching himself into foreign lands, often in the midst of war, and finding unforgettable personal stories. Whether it’s via a piano player in Baghdad, a postal worker in Japan, Sean’s own “minders” in Iraq, these are stories of ordinary people – though always strong characters – struggling to survive in an often unkind world. Sean’s latest film, A Syrian Love Story, is perhaps his best yet…. See the full report by Carol Nahra on the Docs On Screens website
‘A Syrian Love Story’ Premiere
A Syrian Love Story
A Syrian Love Story (2015)
Coming very soon… Filmed over 5 years, A Syrian Love Story charts an incredible odyssey to political freedom in the West. For Raghda and Amer, it is a journey of hope, dreams and despair: for the revolution, their homeland and each other. A Syrian Love Story has its World Premiere at the Sheffield Doc/Fest on Sunday 7th June 2015. More information to follow…
Cinemas and festivals
For up-to-date information about where you can see A Syrian Love Story please sign-up to our newsletter by sending a email to syria@seanmcallister.com