The Other Side of the Sun

Director: Tawfik Sabouni

Cast: Abdelkafi Alhaj, Mahmoud Alqadah, Mohammad Hamki

Five men process the trauma of captivity by reconstructing their time in a Syrian prison

Tawfik Sabouni’s remarkable film takes its name from the infamous Syrian prison of Saidnaya, where he was kept captive during the Assad regime. Following the fall of the authoritarian ruler, the filmmaker returned to the crumbling grounds of Saidnaya alongside four other former prisoners to cathartically dissect the horror of their captivity through poetic, detailed reconstructions. In the reopening of wounds, the men powerfully reclaim their voices. As cinema tries to grapple with the horrifying effects of war and conflict as it unfolds in real time, The Other Side of the Sun proves a singular insight into the intricacies of trauma and the restorative power of art. (RAFA SALES ROSS)