‘Ashes,’ From Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Producers, Follows a Syrian’s Struggle to Bring War Criminals to Justice
#Ashes documentary #Daham Alasaad #Syrian war crimes #Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival #No Other Land producers #Bashar al-Assad #Palmyra Syria #Human rights
📌 Key Takeaways
- Daham Alasaad captured viral footage of anti-Assad protests while working as a tour guide in Palmyra
- The footage forced him to flee Syria and seek refuge in Europe
- 'Ashes' is Alasaad's documentary about efforts to bring Syrian war criminals to justice
- The film will be presented at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
📖 Full Retelling
Syrian tour guide turned activist Daham Alasaad will present his debut documentary feature 'Ashes' at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival's Pitching Forum from March 5-15, 2026, following his remarkable journey from Palmyra to Europe as he documents efforts to bring Syrian war criminals to justice after inadvertently capturing viral footage of anti-Assad protests. The film, produced by the same team behind the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land,' chronicles Alasaad's transformation from an ordinary tour guide to an activist seeking accountability for victims of the Syrian conflict. In the early days of the Syrian uprising, Alasaad was leading a tourist group through Palmyra's ancient ruins when he captured scenes of a peaceful demonstration against Bashar al-Assad's regime using a tourist's camera, footage that unexpectedly went viral and forced him to flee for his life as Syria descended into a more than decade-long civil war. Now residing in Europe, Alasaad has dedicated himself to documenting efforts to bring Syrian war criminals to justice, a journey that forms the framework of his deeply personal documentary which aims to give voice to victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
🏷️ Themes
Justice, Activism, Documentary Film
📚 Related People & Topics
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Annual film festival held in Thessaloniki, Greece
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF; Greek: Φεστιβάλ Κινηματογράφου Θεσσαλονίκης, romanized: Festivál Kinimatográfou Thessaloníkis) is a film festival held every November in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival under the auspices of the Greek Ministr...
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Mar 10, 2026 1:54am PT ‘Ashes,’ From Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Producers, Follows a Syrian’s Struggle to Bring War Criminals to Justice By Christopher Vourlias Plus Icon Christopher Vourlias Latest Five Takeaways From the Joburg Film Festival and JBX Market: Rebate Woes, the End of Africa’s Streaming Wars and Politics in the Spotlight 1 day ago Swiss Period Drama ‘Silent Rebellion’ Takes Top Honors at Joburg Film Festival 2 days ago Rotterdam Tiger Award Winner ‘Variations on a Theme’ Explores History’s Long Shadow Through Lyrical Lens, Releases Trailer 4 days ago See All In the early days of the Syrian uprising, Daham Alasaad was working as a tour guide in his native Palmyra, leading a group through the ruins of the ancient city. When a tourist handed him a camera to record a few snapshots, the guide inadvertently captured scenes of a peaceful demonstration against the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. Unexpectedly, the video went viral. And before he knew it, Alasaad was fleeing for his life. It was the start of a remarkable journey that found Alasaad traveling from Syria — which would soon find itself in the throes of a more than decade-long civil war — to safe haven in Europe, where he began documenting efforts to bring Syrian war criminals to justice. Those efforts form the framework of his debut documentary feature “Ashes,” which Alasaad will be presenting in the Pitching Forum at the Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival, which runs March 5 – 15. Related Stories Tig Notaro on Sleeping Through the Oscar Nominations: ‘With My CPAP Machine Tubes Coming Out of My Head’ and Honoring Her Friend in 'Come See Me in the Good Light'
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