We Syrians are haunted by the wind. The saying goes, “be ready, the past is coming.” And I say, “be ready, Syrian films are coming like the wind.” -Ahmad Alhaj
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is a series of autobiographical Syrian fiction and documentary films exploring migration, grief, memory and history following the political instability of the Arab Spring. Within this program, the wind is understood to be the central metaphor that represents destiny and which links the films together. Whether through unleashing its wrath, or by leading in flight, the wind is an element that guides the lives of countless people in ways unseen. Primarily shot across North America and Europe, the films present deeply humanizing narratives of Syrian experiences, shedding light of the contradictions and irreconcilable realities of longing for a past that haunts the present.
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is curated by Ahmad Alhaj and presented by ArteEast. This program is part of the legacy program Unpacking the ArteArchive, which preserves and presents 20 years of film and video programming by ArteEast. The program will be screened online on artearchive.org from April 11 - 21. The in-person screening takes place on Sunday, April 21 at IAIA, Institute of Arab and Islamic Art.
The Way Home (2018)
Through his quest to better understand the shredded state of his family, Wael questions the long-lasting socio-political crisis in Syria. In 1980, I was born in Syria coinciding with the launch of a project aiming to build an international highway only a few meters away from my house – a bridge that would separate the city from its poor suburb. In 1985, I met my father for the first time and realized that the woman I always called “mother” was in fact my grandmother. A conflict had arisen between her and my biological mother over my custody. A few years later my journey fighting cancer started with several false diagnoses and delayed treatment at governmental hospitals. In 2000, I asked about and searched for my biological mother and our family history. But my attempts to confront and understand my past shook the stability that each member of the family had created. In 2013 I fled to Lebanon and continued my family research with the conviction that cancer, family dismantlement, and urban transformations are a mere metaphor of our present general social and political crisis.
About the Filmmaker:
Wael Kadlo is a Syrian filmmaker born in Damascus, Syria in 1980. He relocated to Beirut in 2013 where he continues to practice his career in filmmaking. With a degree in French literature from the University of Damascus, Kadlo started his career as a theater actor during his university years, as well as taking part in a number of independent plays including ‘Very Crazy Dead,’ ‘Thespians,’ ‘Departure no.1,’ ‘The Magical Broom,’ ‘The Wedding,’ and ‘The Caravan.’ Following that, he participated in several workshops in directing, editing and cinematography under the supervision of directors Ghassan Salhab, Mohammed Sweid, Hala Abdullah and Rania Estefan. Kadlo also worked as an assistant director, cameraman and consultant for several movies. His previous film ‘Wound’, won the Aan Korb Festival award in 2014.
- Year2018
- Runtime64 minutes
- LanguageArabic
- CountryLebanon, Syrian Arab Republic
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorWael Kadlo
- ProducerWael Kadlo
We Syrians are haunted by the wind. The saying goes, “be ready, the past is coming.” And I say, “be ready, Syrian films are coming like the wind.” -Ahmad Alhaj
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is a series of autobiographical Syrian fiction and documentary films exploring migration, grief, memory and history following the political instability of the Arab Spring. Within this program, the wind is understood to be the central metaphor that represents destiny and which links the films together. Whether through unleashing its wrath, or by leading in flight, the wind is an element that guides the lives of countless people in ways unseen. Primarily shot across North America and Europe, the films present deeply humanizing narratives of Syrian experiences, shedding light of the contradictions and irreconcilable realities of longing for a past that haunts the present.
REVOLUTION OF THE WIND is curated by Ahmad Alhaj and presented by ArteEast. This program is part of the legacy program Unpacking the ArteArchive, which preserves and presents 20 years of film and video programming by ArteEast. The program will be screened online on artearchive.org from April 11 - 21. The in-person screening takes place on Sunday, April 21 at IAIA, Institute of Arab and Islamic Art.
The Way Home (2018)
Through his quest to better understand the shredded state of his family, Wael questions the long-lasting socio-political crisis in Syria. In 1980, I was born in Syria coinciding with the launch of a project aiming to build an international highway only a few meters away from my house – a bridge that would separate the city from its poor suburb. In 1985, I met my father for the first time and realized that the woman I always called “mother” was in fact my grandmother. A conflict had arisen between her and my biological mother over my custody. A few years later my journey fighting cancer started with several false diagnoses and delayed treatment at governmental hospitals. In 2000, I asked about and searched for my biological mother and our family history. But my attempts to confront and understand my past shook the stability that each member of the family had created. In 2013 I fled to Lebanon and continued my family research with the conviction that cancer, family dismantlement, and urban transformations are a mere metaphor of our present general social and political crisis.
About the Filmmaker:
Wael Kadlo is a Syrian filmmaker born in Damascus, Syria in 1980. He relocated to Beirut in 2013 where he continues to practice his career in filmmaking. With a degree in French literature from the University of Damascus, Kadlo started his career as a theater actor during his university years, as well as taking part in a number of independent plays including ‘Very Crazy Dead,’ ‘Thespians,’ ‘Departure no.1,’ ‘The Magical Broom,’ ‘The Wedding,’ and ‘The Caravan.’ Following that, he participated in several workshops in directing, editing and cinematography under the supervision of directors Ghassan Salhab, Mohammed Sweid, Hala Abdullah and Rania Estefan. Kadlo also worked as an assistant director, cameraman and consultant for several movies. His previous film ‘Wound’, won the Aan Korb Festival award in 2014.
- Year2018
- Runtime64 minutes
- LanguageArabic
- CountryLebanon, Syrian Arab Republic
- Subtitle LanguageEnglish
- DirectorWael Kadlo
- ProducerWael Kadlo