96: Talal Derki on filming in Syria

What this episode covers

Syrian director Talal Derki has twice won the Sundance Film Festival’s World Cinema Best Documentary Award for “Return to Homs” and “Of Fathers and Sons.” That first film traced the early years of Syria’s civil war. Derki working with a team of camera people followed two peaceful protestors - national soccer star Abdul Basset Sarout and his friend Ossama - as they grow more militant and take up arms.By the time “Return to Homs” debuted in 2013, Derki and his wife had become exiles in Berlin with their young son. But Derki quickly returned to Syria to embark on his next film “Of Fathers and Sons.” For two and half years, he filmed in northern Syria with a jihadist named Abu Osama and his family. Osama was one of the founders of Al-Nusra, the Syrian arm of Al-Qaeda. In the film, we watch his sons Osama (13) and Ayman (12) go through jihadi training camp. “Of Fathers and Sons" is now Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Derki on the morning he was headed to the Oscars nominees brunch. Derki discusses the life-threatening situations involved in making both films.

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