Sundance winner at 54th KFF

“Return to Homs” is a shocking story about two young Syrians, the inhabitants of the besieged city Homs, who fight for the liberation of their country from the regime of president Bashar al-Asad. Basset Sarout, 19-year-old goalkeeper of the national football team and a street songmaker, and Ossama, 24-year-old cameraman, start out with peaceful protests, but soon they become embroiled in the armed struggle, which turns their youthful ideals into a real hell.

The film had its world premiere in November at the IDFA festival in Amsterdam, where it was shown at the festival’s opening and won recognition from both the critics and the audience. Last weekend, it was recognised by the jury at Sundance, which gave it the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize in the documentary film category. It will be shown this spring at the 54th Krakow Film Festival, which begins on 26th May.

“We have invited the film before the Amsterdam festival,” says Krzysztof Gierat, the festival’s director, “It made a huge impression on us, because in the fates of the young Syrians we can see the kind of noble determinism, which ends tragically in extreme conditions. The film has its beginning and end, but the war goes on and there is more than two opponents in it. Our beautiful 20-year-olds may have joined the Taliban forces or may have become martyrs.”

The documentary, made from 2011 to 2013, was directed by Talal Derki, produced by Orwa Nyrabia, the founder of the DOX BOX festival, who was detained by the Syrian authorities in 2012 due to his work on the film. Swift reaction of international film community – the demands to free the producer were made, among others by the American Film Academy, the Guilds of Producers and Scriptwriters, Tribeca Film Institute and Sundance Institute – resulted in Nyrabia’s release and the film was completed.