Syrian documentary to screen at Exeter Picturehouse

Return to Homs, a new documentary about the revolution in Syria, will be shown at the Exeter Picturehouse on Wednesday 9 July at 6.30pm.

The film will be shown at Picturehouses across the UK from 27 June.

Return to Homs,Talal Derki's award-winning documentary (Sundance World Cinema Grand Jury Prize 2014), follows nineteen-year-old goalkeeper-turned-insurgent, Abdul Basset, as he and a ragtag group of comrades fight to protect the captive inhabitants of the besieged city of Homs. As one of the unlikely leaders of the Syrian rebellion Basset has become something of a totemic figure, with Le Monde labelling him an 'icon of the revolution'. His protest songs and dark sense of humour reflect his dream of peaceful liberation from Assad's oppressive regime, but when their hopeful uprising is met with violent resistance by government forces, he and his companions take up arms. Trailing the fearless crew over a two-year period, this remarkable film sees the city Basset once knew and loved, deserted and torn apart beyond recognition. As audacious hope turns to despair, Derki presents the real desperation behind the bloodied faces and waving rifles that have become Syria's refrain.

This one-off showing is an opportunity for the people of Exeter to see beyond the moderated snapshots broadcast by mainstream media, offering a rare insight into the human experience of the Syrian conflict.

The film screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Talal Derki.

Tickets can be purchased through the Exeter Picturehouse website or by calling the Box Office on 0871 902 5730 (10p a minute from a landline)