Wajd - Songs of Separation (2018)

Inspired by the traditional music of Syria, director Amar Chebib traveled to Aleppo in 2010. Six months later the revolution began. Moved by the harrowing experiences of the friends he made, Wajd shares the stories of three musicians turned refugees. Over five years, we become intimate with the struggles of Ibrahim, Abdulwahed, and Mohamed as they face their traumatic past. Forced to rebuild their lives in exile, they turn to their love of music to help them find meaning in the aftermath of destruction and atrocity. Verite footage of their daily lives weaves together with bittersweet musical performances, traditional Sufi ceremonies, and poetic imagery of a pre-war Syria that no longer exists. What unfolds is a cinematic meditation on loss, yearning, and faith.