“Birds of War”: New Film Tells a Story of Love and Journalism from Syria to Lebanon

ANJALI KAMAT: We turn now to Birds of Waran acclaimed brand-new documentary. It’s a romance in between the London-based Lebanese reporter Janay Boulos and the Syrian activist and cameraman Abd Alkader Habak. Their story unfolds through 13 years of individual archives throughout transformation, war and exile. This is the movie’s trailer.

JANAY BOULOS: Can you discover a story and movie it?

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Yes, however who are you? All I understand is that you’re from the BBC

JANAY BOULOS: My name is Janay.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Ideally, this will be the start of a future partnership in between us.

JANAY BOULOS: Thank you quite. Great night.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Provide me the anesthetic. Hamza!

JANAY BOULOS: Can you inform me about the scenario in Aleppo?

ABD ALKADER HABAK: I have another concept for you.

JANAY BOULOS: Let me get my supervisor’s approval.

ROOF GROWER: Planting is hard, however we require it to live.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Do you desire video footage?

JANAY BOULOS: If you have hurries, they’ll take them, for sure.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: The convoy has actually been targeted.

I never ever let anybody close, however something has actually altered.

I miss you.

JANAY BOULOS: Hi.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Look.

JANAY BOULOS: This was never ever indicated to occur. It has.

You are more than a story to me.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s the trailer for the brand-new documentary Birds of WarThe movie made its opening night at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact.

We talked to the movie’s authors, directors, Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, who passes Habak, who joined us both in our studio today. I started by asking Janay Boulos about the title of the movie.

JANAY BOULOS: Birds of War is– like you stated, it’s a play on the Arabic title for “love birds.” In Arabic, the word “love” and “war,” they have just one letter distinction. “love” is”hab,” and “war” is”harbThere’s simply an R in between “love” and “war.” Therefore, it’s– basically, the Arabic title is War Birdsand for English, we equated it Birds of War

ANJALI KAMAT: You understand, your movie discuss– it’s a romance, undoubtedly, however it’s embeded in a time of war. It likewise asks some truly uneasy concerns about journalism. And you’re both reporters. You were working for the BBCresiding in London, and you were a cameraperson in Syria, in Aleppo, at the time of the war in Syria. Can you discuss the unequal relationship that you’re discussing? Janay, at one point in the movie, I believe you state you’re feeding the news maker?

JANAY BOULOS: Yes.

ANJALI KAMAT: And this relationship in between reporters working for huge corporations in the Global North and their connection to so-called fixers–

JANAY BOULOS: Yes.

ANJALI KAMAT: — in dispute zones, a function which you played.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Yeah, I suggest, like for us, when we were, like, covering the war in Syria, it resembled very crucial for us, like, to provide a story, no matter what. And at that point, like, nobody let us understand about, like, our rights, what we can request for. Nobody, like, inform us, like, we’re expected to have training, like, for instance, HEFAT training or any other training, like, for our security. That, for us–

ANJALI KAMAT: In regards to the dangers you were taking.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: Yeah, naturally, particularly, like, we are running, like, in a battle zone, like in frontline. Which, for us, we were– like, when we existed, like, we do not think of this. We process stories that matter to our neighborhoods and our society. And our objective was, like, in fact to provide this story to the news outlet, no matter what. Like, if they’re going to spend for us or not, I’m going to movie no matter what, since likewise, like, for us, it was incredibly crucial. Like, we are recording whatever, due to the fact that we are recording, like, our history. We are keeping our history, like, in video, in a genuine video footage. At the very same time, we are recording a war criminal activity that is, like, taking place around us every day.

AMY GOODMAN: You composed a gorgeous piece in Talkhousethe 2 of you, “You Are More Than a Story.” And you compose, “For years, Habak shot Aleppo under barrage. His video reached worldwide screens, frequently credited to ‘a regional source,’ or not credited at all. Janay invested 10 years inside the BBCviewing from the newsroom side what gets kept, what gets cut, and whose name addresses the top of the story.” Talk about that, how you fulfilled. You’re representing the BBCcomposing to this individual. You have no concept who he is, under, to state the least, far more harmful conditions.

JANAY BOULOS: Yes, yeah. At that time, and I ‘d been covering the transformation in Syria because 2011, considering that the start of the Arab Spring, and we were relying on regional reporters and activists for this video, and getting in touch with them through social media. And it was rather competitive, like it remains in the newsroom. We constantly desired more video footage. Every hour, there’s a heading. We desired brand-new video. We desired brand-new headings. And certainly, when Habak and other regional reporters were recording for me, I was getting the video footage. I was cutting the report the method editorially fit the program. And I was signing off a report by Janay Boulos, and I basically not did anything however compose my voiceover and the script.

And this sort of extractive design that, “Yeah, now we desire video footage, now we desire the news,” and after that the next day we proceed, truly developed sort of an issue for me as a reporter, and it led me to question what is it that I wish to do and what is essential for me.

ANJALI KAMAT: Habak, you ultimately did leave Syria, in 2017, and you reside in London now. What did it seem like to witness the fall of the Assad program all these years later on, in 2024? We’re turning up on the 2nd anniversary. And what do you think about what’s occurring in Syria now? How do you feel about the brand-new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa?

ABD ALKADER HABAK: I suggest, like, experiencing the fall of the Assad program on the television, it was something– I suggest, it was something truly great, however at the very same time, I was, like, extremely upset, since at the exact same time, mad, unfortunate, as like– it’s like, you understand, a great deal of sensation at the very same time, due to the fact that in my mind, like, I never ever, ever, ever envisioned, like, I’m going to witness that, like, on television, far. It’s like, in my mind, like, I must remain in the streets with individuals.

And what makes me more mad, I went to Turkey like a month before the Assad routine fell, and I wished to cross the border to Syria. Sadly, I invested a month there attempting to cross the border, however then, like, the Turkish authority, like, didn’t permit me due to the fact that I have a British passport at that time. Yeah, it was, like, actually unreasonable on the individuals, like, who was living abroad, like, to not witness this on the ground, in fact.

And I went there like, in fact, the next day, instantly. Like, he fell, like, during the night. Next day, I have a ticket, and I flew. I fly to Lebanon, and from Lebanon, I crossed the border.

And the sensation there, it’s like, even now, like, I go practically like monthly to Syria, however at the exact same time, like, I require 2 days, like, to simply– like, to comprehend that it’s like, yeah, this is genuine. This is truth. Each time I go there, like, I feel it’s a dream, and you require time to procedure that dream. Yeah.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you discuss conference Habak in Turkey the very first time? You didn’t inform the BBCI imply, here you had this expert relationship, however you likewise– I imply, what it resembled to– for how long had you texted before? When he came by the border, you existed waiting.

JANAY BOULOS: Yeah, so, we were– we ‘d been sort of in touch for about a year. And when he crossed to Turkey, I instantly went. I chose a number of days. I didn’t inform anyone, simply my buddy, and, like, “I’m going to Turkey,” since I didn’t understand, you understand, who is this individual I’m going to go see. Clearly, when we were talking, there was never ever the possibility people ever conference, since he never ever wished to leave Syria. I might have never ever gone there. It felt like this safe, you understand, relationship and, you understand, sense of care. And after that when he existed, I resembled, I required to drop in him. Therefore I saw him for 2 days, and after that I returned to London. And I resembled, OK, I wish to return and see him once again. I went once again, and I went once again. About 4 or 5 times that year, I visited him in Turkey.

And really, the video– and everyone asks us when they see the movie, it’s like, “Why do not you have the minute you fulfill?” It’s because, like, we never ever set out, to start with, to make this movie, so we didn’t actually catch the minute we fulfilled.

ANJALI KAMAT: The movie likewise touches a bit on the sectarian characteristics in the area, and you originate from a Christian Lebanese household.

JANAY BOULOS: Yes.

ANJALI KAMAT: You’re a Muslim from Syria. And in an excellent part of the movie, you’re unwilling to inform your household–

JANAY BOULOS: Yes.

ANJALI KAMAT: — about this relationship. Can you state a bit more about communicating these sort of characteristics on movie, and why you chose it was necessary to include them?

JANAY BOULOS: Yeah, so, Lebanon and Syria have an extremely complex relationship. They’re surrounding nations, however they’re likewise a history of, you understand, being geographically– you understand, at one point, the borders were attracted a manner in which made them 2 nations, when there was a time when they were– you understand, it wasn’t that method. When the civil war completed in Lebanon, the Syrian routine inhabited Lebanon.

ANJALI KAMAT: This remains in the 1990s.

JANAY BOULOS: Yes, they inhabited Lebanon up until about 2004, 2005. And after that, so I matured under Syrian profession in Lebanon, which was constantly something we were terrified of. And despite the fact that we’re surrounding nations, there is constantly this sensation of bigotry, you understand, in between these 2 nations. And I believe a great deal of nations have this relationship with surrounding nations, and in addition to faith, which is something that, you understand, regretfully, is still being utilized to separate individuals.

And we wished to discuss this, due to the fact that Habak and me are individuals in reality. Without our journalistic relationship, we ‘d have never ever been together. I would have never ever opened my heart to someone like him, unless what– I saw who he actually is. I saw his decision. I saw just how much he was providing, his guts, and what he– I thought in what he was doing. Which made me get in touch with him on a human level. And I believe this is why we wished to include it in this movie, is to reveal that, you understand what, you understand, we can be any race, any gender, any faith, any background, however at the exact same time, we’re all people. And these labels that are required on us in politics, that are made to separate us, to make us seem like the other is the opponent.

ABD ALKADER HABAK: And in fact, we are preparing next year, like, to choose the movie to Syria, to neighborhood areas, and, like, have a trip with the movie in neighborhood areas, because, like, what Janay touched now about, like, our separation, that is, like, still occurring in Syria. Which’s why I state, like, often that the Assad program has actually been successful, regrettably, of separating our neighborhoods and our society, particularly, like, in Syria, since we have a great deal of minority. Therefore, yeah, similar to we felt– I seem like this movie is going to bring individuals together more and to– it’s going to assist, like, restoring the bridges in between the neighborhoods and the societies, like, in Syria.

ANJALI KAMAT: And you’re likewise dealing with reporters in Lebanon and Syria to inform their own stories.

JANAY BOULOS: Yes, we were– really, like Habak stated, we’re utilizing this movie as a training tool. And we simply got some assistance to introduce next year a fellowship, which we will be training regional reporters in Lebanon and Syria. We currently had a pilot in September with 15 regional reporters. And we’re going to return next year, and we will be picking 5 of these regional reporters to deal with them on an independent story and assist them pitch it and provide it to worldwide broadcasters, so that worldwide broadcasters can make stories with regional individuals and not about them.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, co-writers and directors of the brand-new documentary Birds of WarThe movie made its opening night at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. It simply played in New York and will be playing in Los Angeles on November 19th, and after that on to the Bay Area on the 22nd and on to Boston in December.

That does it for today’s program. The documentary about Democracy Now! Take This Story, Please!go back to the IFC Today at 4:30 for an unique DOC NEW YORK CITY Winner’s Circle screening. I’ll be there for the Q&A later on with the movie’s Oscar-nominated directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The movie is likewise out on all digital platforms, on Amazon Prime and Apple and Google Plus and anywhere you wish to see it. Examine it out at democracynow.org and StealThisStory.org

Democracy Now! is produced with Mike Burke, Deena Guzder, Messiah Rhodes, Nicole Salazar, Nermeen Shaikh, María Taracena, John Hamilton, Sara Nasser, Charina Nadura, Sam Alcoff, Tey-Marie Astudillo, Robby Karran, Hany Massoud, Laura Bustillos and Diego Ramos. Our executive director is Julie Crosby. Unique thanks to Becca Staley, Denis Moynihan, Jon Randolph, Paul Powell. I’m Amy Goodman, with Anjali Kamat.