Al Basateen (The Orchards)

We speak with Antoine Chapon, a French filmmaker who collaborated with former residents of Damascus, Syriah's Basateen al-Razi neighborhood to share their memories and perspectives, and reimagine the future of the land they once called home. Antoine's film, AL BASATEEN (THE ORCHARDS) is an official selection in our 2026 festival.Until recently, Basateen al-Razi was home to some of the oldest orchards in the world. In 2015, residents were informed that the area had been targeted for redevelopment. Many were given less than two months to leave their homes, and most of them never received any form of compensation.The homes were destroyed, and so were the ancient orchards. The stated reason for the mass displacement was the construction of Marota City, a shiny new urban development project scheduled to contain luxury homes, skyscrapers, and commercial centers.But according to our guest —and many others—an underlying reason for the displacement was revenge. During the Syrian Revolution, the beloved trees, once treasured for fruit and shade, provided tactical cover, making Basateen al-Razi a center of strong resistance to the now former dictator, Bashar al-Assad.We discuss the use of CGI and VFX by Antoine and his collaborators to tell a story of collective rebellion and loss, the old, troubling relationship between authoritarianism and urban planning, ecological cinema as counter-propaganda, and much more.Learn more about the Portland EcoFilm Festival and our podcast--where you'll also find detailed show notes and our guests' film recommendations from this episode.portlandecofilmfest.org/podcasthollywoodtheatre.orgOur theme music is from the song “Earth Worship” by the amazing band, Rubblebucket.AL BASATEEN is featured in our EXPANSIVE ECOLOGICAL IMAGINATION 1 program on March 26, 2026 at the Hollywood Theatre (sponsored by SOLVE).Our podcast is hosted, edited, and produced by our festival director, Rozzell Medina.The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this program are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Film Forever Northwest or its affiliates.