Republic of Silence
Fall Grants 2016 - Production Stage
Diana El Jeiroudi / Feature Documentary / Syria, Germany, France, Qatar / Original Language: Arabic, English / Interests: Politics, Biography, Social Issues, Immigration, Creative Documentary
Synopsis
They grew up in the lands of dictators and surveillance, where images are censored, photos are burned, thoughts are discreet, and mouths are kept shut. During the years, they made films, documented life, their lives, at least what was possible. They recorded sounds at night and in secret, for the senses to complete the image. From what are seemingly scattered images and narratives, a coherent emotive sensibility emerges unpacking a singular perspective of history and an attempt to speak what has been unspoken and silenced.
A first person narrative which pendulates between a perspective that is timelessly personal and intimate, and another which is, on the contrary, very vast, contemporary and political. It traces the journeys of a filmmaker and her partner, friends and their families, once as revolutionaries in their country, once as exiles in Europe nowadays, once as activists, as filmmakers, as lovers, and as listeners.
A contemplative journey from silence into words, from blindness into seeing, and of how cinema made it possible and saved their lives.
Credits
- Director
- Diana El Jeiroudi
- Producer
- Orwa Nyrabia, Diana El Jeiroudi, Camille Laemlé
- Production Company
- No Nation Films, Les Films d’lci
- Production Company
- No Nation Films
About the Director
A Syrian filmmaker and screenwriter whose films encapsulate socio-political tensions and contradictions and extend well over time, Diana is best known for her films’ Dolls: A Woman from Damascus’ (2007) and ‘Morning Fears, Night Chants’ (2012). She recently finished her long-term feature-length documentary ‘Republic of Silence’ expected for release at the end of 2021. As a producer, her filmography includes award-winning films such as the magnificent ‘Silvered Water – Syria Autoportrait’ by O. Mohamad & W. S. Bedirxan (Cannes 2014), and ‘The Mulberry House’ by Oscar-nominated Sara Ishaq (IDFA 2013). Her efforts in supporting and advancing the documentary community and culture, notably through founding DOX BOX as Syria’s first documentary film festival, and then later as the Berlin-based documentary film support organization, has earned her various awards, including the EDN Award, The Katrin Cartlidge Award, and The Heart of Sarajevo. She is a member of the American Academy of Motion Pictures, the Deutsche Filmakademie, and the Asia-Pacific Screen Academy. She serves on several committees and juries and has supported many careers and tutored talents through the professional training initiatives and workshops of DOX BOX, EuroDoc, Ex Oriente, IDFA, Circle Women Doc Accelerator and Story Doc.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
WP La Biennale De Venezia, 2021
Official Selectoin - Out of competition