In Syria

Awards
Berlinale 2017, Panorama Section, Audience Award

Synopsis
Damascus, Oum Yazan is trying desperately to keep together her family life whilst outside a war is raging. The family sits together around a large table at midday, everyone trying to make themselves heard above the cannonade of bombs and machine gun fire. There is hardly any water and every trip outside the door spells danger on account of the snipers on the rooftops above. Just a few shots are necessary to draw the viewer into the permanent state of emergency that is war. The apartment that was once a familiar home has now become a prison. Philippe Van Leeuw’s huis clos describes people in an extreme situation that gives rise to extreme behaviour. Every decision could be a matter of life or death: is it morally acceptable to sacrifice one member of the family to guarantee the survival of the others?

Duration: 85 min
Language: Arabic

Production Belgium, France, Lebanon
Producers: Guillaume Malandrin, Serge Zeitoun
Co-producers: Tomas Leyers, Pierre Sarraf, Philippe Logie, Olivier Bronckart, Jacques Henri Bronckart
Co-production: Minds Meet, Brüssel, né à Beyrouth Films, Versus Production, Voo, Be Tv, Brüssel
Sales: Films Boutique

Lead Actors
Hiam Abbas, Diamand Abou Abboud, Juliette Navis

Crew
Written and directed by Philippe Van Leeuw
Director of Photography: Virginie Surdej
Editor: Gladys Joujou
Music: Jean-Luc Fafchamps
Sound Design: Paul Heymans, Olivier Mortier, Alek Gosse
Sound: Chadi Roukoz
Production Design: Kathy Lebrun, Issa Kandil
Costumes: Claire Dubien
Casting Director: Najat Adem
Make-up: Muriëlle Vercruysse
Assistant Director: Jean-François Ravagnan, Yara Safadi
Line Producer: Marianne Katra
Production Manager: Elie Ziade
Production Coordinator: Gaelle Fayad