After his award-winning documentary Return to Homs, exiled Syrian filmmaker Talal Derki returns to his homeland where he gains the trust of a radical Islamist family, sharing their daily life for over two years. With rare access inside their home, he shines a spotlight on the family’s two adolescent sons as they face assimilation into the ranks of armed combat. While Osama (13) seems content to follow his father’s path to Jihad, Ayman (12) would prefer to go back to school—but the road to radicalization is inevitable. A haunting family portrait of generational warfare, this Sundance-prized documentary is a work of unparallel intimacy that captures the chilling moment when childhood dies and jihadism is born.
In Arabic with English subtitles
2019 Oscars Spotlight: This year’s Academy Award finalists for Best Documentary are a testament to what is so powerful and important about the art of cinema. Featuring inspiring heroes, groundbreaking filmmaking, and vital steps forward in representation, Hot Docs is proud to celebrate and share these outstanding achievements.