SCREENINGS

SYNOPSIS

Young independent filmmaker and reporter Lina goes underground to document the Syrian revolution, adopting a series of aliases to avoid detection from the violent state. In Damascus, she is Lina, one of the many of the silent passerbys, but in Homs, she is Maya the war reporter and in Aleppo, she is Lama.

In her debut, 5 SEASONS OF REVOLUTION, Lina uses video diaries of smuggled footage and memoir to share this personal story of her close group of friends – Susu, Rima, Malaz, and Bassel – as they are slowly pulled deeper into the struggle for freedom and autonomy against enemies known and unknown. One by one, they are detained and targeted by the regime and Lina ends up alone and isolated amidst the violence and chaos. She continues filming to find clarity.

Months transform into years, and Lina – aka Maya aka Layla aka Lama – returns over and over again to the frontlines to witness the regime’s brutal crackdown and see her country morph into a staging ground of global proxy wars. When Lina is detained and held captive in Aleppo, she witnesses unspeakable suffering and torture, and barely escapes.

Told over the course of a decade and against the backdrop of shifting historical forces, 5 SEASONS OF REVOLUTION is Lina’s story; the tale of becoming brave.

Lina

Biography

The Syrian filmmaker and journalist goes by “Lina” to protect her identity. So far, she has made several short and medium-length documentaries, including LETTER TO S. 5 SEASONS OF REVOLUTION is her feature-length debut and has been in the making for a decade.

Filmography

Letter to S. (2015), 5 Seasons of Revolution (2023)