News from Civsy, based on generative AI tools and retrieval-augumented real time data search.Decades after being banned under Hafez al-Assad’s regime, Stars in Broad Daylight has been restored and is screening at international festivals. Directed by Ossama Mohammed, the 1988 film offers a scathing critique of dictatorship, with its protagonist, Khalid, embodying the tyranny of authoritarian rule.
Mohammed once said, “Assad is the co-writer. In this film, I took him from my shoulder and placed him inside the frame.” Despite being banned, the film gained underground fame in Syria through pirated copies.
Restoration was spearheaded by the Cineteca di Bologna and Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project. The revival comes as Syria experiences a post-Assad cultural awakening, with artists embracing newfound freedoms.
Mohammed, who recently returned from exile, has been inundated with screening requests in Syria. The film’s restoration and renewed acclaim symbolize the resilience of Syrian artists and a hopeful era for unrestricted expression.
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"Stars in Broad Daylight" is a groundbreaking Syrian film directed by Ossama Mohammed in 1988[4][5]. The film, which offers a scathing critique of dictatorship, was effectively banned under Hafez al-Assad's regime, having only one official showing in Damascus[7].
The story revolves around the Ghazi family, with the character Khalid, played by Abdellatif Abdul Hamid, serving as an allegorical representation of authoritarian rule[7][9]. Mohammed himself has stated that "Assad is the co-writer," explaining that he took Assad "from [his] shoulder" and placed him "inside the framing"[9].
Despite its suppression, the film gained underground fame in Syria through pirated copies. Recently, "Stars in Broad Daylight" has been restored through efforts by the Cineteca di Bologna and Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project[9]. This restoration coincides with Syria's post-Assad cultural renaissance, as artists embrace newfound freedoms following the recent overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime[3][6].
Ossama Mohammed, who had been living in exile in Paris since 2011, has recently returned to Syria[7][9]. The film's restoration and renewed acclaim symbolize the resilience of Syrian artists and herald a new era of unrestricted expression in the country. As a result, Mohammed has been inundated with requests for screenings in Syria, marking a significant shift in the cultural landscape[9].
Citations:
[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096167/
[2] https://princeclausfund.nl/awardees/ossama-mohammed
[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/9/syrians-mark-a-month-since-al-assads-overthrow-with-concert-in-capital
[4] https://sgiff.com/film/stars-in-broad-daylight/
[5] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0611256/
[6] https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/09/middleeast/syria-assad-rebels-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html
[7] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/movies/syria-film.html
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossama_Mohammed
[9] https://www.film-foundation.org/tsap-stars-in-broad-daylight
[10] https://letterboxd.com/film/stars-in-broad-daylight/
