20/08/2019 Mediterranean film festival
Malas brothers on MFF: They are trying to make Syrian people monsters
The brothers Mohamad and Ahmad Malas, are young directors from Syria whose documentary film shows the daily life during the bombings, which have not ceased for more than two years in a small town in the suburbs of Aleppo. Their film 'Cherry Days' will be screened at the 20th Mediterranean Film Festival. Talking about living in Syria today, they say that it is a victory in this country to stay natural. We talked about ISIL, the football championship, the reality of young people who are still hoping and trying to rise above the morbid images of the bloodiest war of our century.Who are the heroes of your movie, are they typical young Syrians or are they different from most others?
The heroes of our movie are all the people that can stay natural human beings, because in Syria now, if you can be a natural person, then you are the victorious. Global silence, Russian bombing and Assad massacres are trying to make the Syrian people monsters to justify killing us more. We are making our victory today through our insistence to live. We no longer have another choice...in this international shame. We are probably waiting for Godot.
While you were shooting the movie, how often were you in immediate danger?
In our country, which is similar to the film “Under Ground” by Emir Kusturica, the danger always exists, the shelling is always present. However, we were subjected to direct and continuous shelling during two days of filming. In addition to all of that, we were suspicious towards Front Al-Nusra that had a small militia in the city, and thus, there was a danger from the outside and inside. Note: two months after the film was made, Al-Nusra arrested some of those who appeared in the film. The Syrian regime killed the cameraman, Abu Omar, by shelling the city of Homs.
The consequences of the war in Syria are terrible, will sectarian hatred in that country ever be overcome?
Certainly. But the first step is to overthrow the dictator, because right now too much blood covers people’s eyes, and that is not specific to the Syrian people, all peoples would be like that in war-time.
What is the situation in Aleppo today? Is life coming back to normal, has anything started to be done on rebuilding the city?
The problem for us is that the Syrian regime is playing a very stupid game, and the world believes that stupid! Does rebuilding the stone bring back those who were killed? So what does it mean to return to normal life?! Life is not and will never be normal. What we seek today as Syrians is justice. As the cynical Syrian writer Mohammed al-Maghout said: tyrants are like record numbers, they must be broken down one day.
Foreign troops, such as Russia and Turkey, are still in Syria. How much does their presence complicate the situation?
Unfortunately, all the troops fight in our country for their interests not for the Syrian people. In 2011 when the protesters raised the flowers against the tanks of regime all world governments were silent, after that, each government supported what they wanted, regardless of the Syrian people. In fact the big problem now is Russia, Because Bashar al-Assad was a criminal and now he is a puppet in Russia's hand, and Russia is the first responsible for the destruction of Aleppo and now it is bombarding the city of Ma'arat al-Nu'man where we made our film “Cherry Days”. In short, we believe in peoples of the world, but we don't trust their governments.
Do people return to Syria?
When Bertolt Brecht immigrated, he said: “I will not buy a closet; I will leave my clothes on the bed, because I will come back”. We did it, but frankly, the situation is different now. Syria now is like the world after the World War II and Syrian people are as if born again in Europe. Certainly, we always have hope, if we live without hope, we cannot continue the life.
Did you watch the World Cup in Syria last year?
In 2018 we watched it in France, but in 2014 we watched it in Syria, and we supported Brazil. In Syria a lot of people support Brazil. Maybe we love Brazilians because they, like us, are poor and have a dictator. I remember when Messi scored a goal against Iran, the Syrian people had a party, and so it was when Russia was knocked out of cup world. We related football to politics.
Syria has never called itself a radical country, so how come ISIL appeared there?
Syria is a crazy country, Hafez Al Assad remained in power for almost 30 years. After that, came his son Bashar al-Assad who has been ruling the country for 19 years, and now, he prepares his son to succeed him. Syria has 250 prisons and 6 theatres. There are Christians who were arrested accused of being members of Muslim Brotherhood!!! In 2003 Bashar al-Assad opened borders with Iraq when the USA attacked Iraq, all Jihadists went to Iraq, when they came back, they were arrested by the regime. When the revolution started, Bashar al-Assad set these jihadists free and arrested all the peaceful demonstrators. Look at these contradictions: the regime allowed the building of Quran-Memorisation-Institutes and, at the same time, arrested everyone who prayed continuously, he allowed broadcasting religious programs on television, and at the same time tortured prisoners forcing them to say: “Bashar al-Assad is our god”. Syria is big circus. Circus of rape, murder and torture. Certainly, this circus doesn’t bring up clowns.
