David Henry Gerson's 'The Story Won't Die' aims to creatively explain the Syrian crisis
One of the hardest things to realize - or maybe accept - is the difficult we all - myself include - encounter with trying to comprehend anything outside of a 30, 45 or 60-second clip. Books turned to magazines turned to websites turned to TikTok blasts. So outside of reading a headline here or there, really getting a full understanding of real-life problems feels more like an uphill battle than a moral obligation. Enter David Henry Gerson and his creative The Story Won’t Die film.
Documentaries - if done with a unique twist - can really make serious impacts and tell deep stories in unique ways. This film’s trailer alone lures you in and narrows in on the Syrian crisis - the unbelievable fact the civil war has lasted 11 years. Check out details attached to the film and keep scrolling to witness an impressively well-done trailer.
THE STORY WON’T DIE, from Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson, is an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world’s largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. The film is produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny).
Rapper Abu Hajar, together with other celebrated creative personalities of the Syrian uprising, a Post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), breakdancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly), use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today’s world, and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war.
THE STORY WON’T DIE premiered at 2021 Hot Docs, went on to screen at AFI Docs, Watch Docs, and won Best Director at Doc LA and Best Feature Doc at FIC Autor Guadalajara. It will be released theatrically in the US on June 10th.
