Feras Fayyad

Last updated

Feras Fayyad
فراس فياض
Feras Fayyad portrait by Stine Heilmann for The Cave (TIFF 2019).jpg
Promotional portrait by Stine Heilmann for "The Cave" at TIFF 2019
BornSeptember 20, 1988 (1988-09-20) (age 37)
Aleppo
Occupations
  • Director
  • screenwriter
  • editor
  • actor
  • producer
Years active2010–present
AgentCAA
Known forDirecting Oscar-nominated documentaries Last Men in Aleppo (2017) and The Cave (2019); survivor of torture in Branch 251 (Al-Khatib prison) in Damascus
Children1
AwardsTwo Academy Award nominations for Best Documentary Feature (2018, 2020); News & Documentary Emmy Award winner; two George Foster Peabody Awards; Directors Guild of America nomination

Feras Fayyad (born September 20, 1988) is a Syrian film director, producer, and writer. Fayyad best known for his 2017 documentary Last Men in Aleppo and his 2019 documentary The Cave, both films earned him critical acclaim and numerous awards and nominations including two Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, making him the first Syrian director to be nominated for an Oscar [1] . Fayyad also won an Emmy award for Best Current Affairs Documentary [2] , was nominated for a creative Emmy for best writing and directing, and has received two George Foster Peabody awards [3] [4] and a nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement from the Directors Guild of America for his movie The Cave.

Contents

Right from the beginning, his works dealt with the situation in his homeland Syria and the political shifts in the Arab world. His 2011 documentary "On the Other Side" (CZ). As a result, Fayyad was arrested in Damascus in late 2011, and he was subjected to extreme violence and torture during his two times imprisonment.

David France in The New York Times called Fayyad “ one of the most soulful documentary filmmakers working today” while Allen Johnson of San Francisco Chronicle wrote that "Fayyad is a humanitarian, and his approach in "The Cave" demonstrates that."

Fayyad and his team were not able to attend the 90th Academy Awards ceremony, as his visa was rejected in response to President Trump's Executive Order 13780. [5] [6]

As a result of making Last Men in Aleppo and The Cave, Fayyad became the subject of a vicious effort to discredit his work by pro-Putin, Russian hackers. [7] In testimony in Koblenz's courtroom, He gives key testimony against a convicted war criminal officer who led a unit of Syria's General Intelligence Directorate and involved in Fayyad's torture as a result of his testimony he turned subject to an organized attack from a tabloid anti-migrants websites. [8]

Early life

Fayyad was born in Dadikh, a Syrian village located in Saraqib Nahiyah in Idlib District, Idlib; he is the eldest of ten, seven sisters and two brothers. [9] Fayyad spent his childhood between his village and Aleppo.

Filmmaking Career

Documentary Directing

Fayyad's filmmaking journey began with formal training in audio-visual arts in Paris, followed by work in Syrian television drama, before he shifted to documentary work to engage directly with real human stories amid Syria's dictatorship. He first worked as an editor on a film for Al Jazeera, later directed a film about a Syrian sculptor, and subsequently made an early documentary on a Syrian poet and dissident Ja'far Haydar, an effort that resulted in his arrest and torture by the regime, marking his initial foray into documenting dissent. This experience propelled his transition from scripted television and preliminary protest footage toward structured documentaries, where he began compiling extensive local recordings into cohesive narratives focused on the conflict's human toll [10] .

In capturing real-time conflict footage during the Aleppo siege, Fayyad embedded with rescue teams, employing human-level camera perspectives to immerse viewers in the rescuers' experiences rather than detached overhead views, while prioritizing authentic audio shifts from everyday city sounds to relentless bombings. Fayyad, and His team endured daily airstrikes, hiding equipment amid rubble and navigating constant threats of death, which Fayyad framed as a personal pact for psychological resilience to continue filming. This approach evolved from ad hoc citizen-style recordings, observing peers using mobile phones during the 2011 uprising into methodical, on-the-ground documentation emphasizing inner motivations and unfiltered reality to distinguish genuine events from potential staging. [11] [12] [13]

Beyond major features, Fayyad initiated a 2013 documentary project on the White Helmets, contributing to collaborative efforts that laid groundwork for later works, alongside short-form explorations of Aleppo's siege. [14]

Notable Productions

Feras Fayyad's documentary Last Men in Aleppo (2017) chronicles the White Helmets' rescue operations amid the siege of Aleppo during the Syrian Civil War, capturing the relentless efforts of volunteers like Khaled Omar Harrah and Subhi Alhussen to extract survivors from rubble following airstrikes [15] [16] . Fayyad sourced much of the raw footage himself while embedded with the group, enduring the constant threat of bombardment to document the chaos and human cost of the conflict in eastern Aleppo [17] .

In The Cave (2019), Fayyad shifts focus to an underground hospital in Ghouta, eastern Syria, where a team of predominantly female doctors and staff, led by pediatrician Amani Ballour, treat wounded civilians and children under siege and relentless shelling [18] . Filming over two years amid escalating violence presented severe challenges, including power outages, supply shortages, and the need to operate in secrecy to evade regime forces [19] .

These productions have illuminated the resilience of Syrian civilians and first responders, fostering international attention to the humanitarian crises in besieged areas like Aleppo and Ghouta by providing visceral, on-the-ground perspectives often absent from mainstream coverage [20] [21] [22] .

Disinformation Campaign Following Oscar Nomination

Following the Oscar nomination of Last Men in Aleppo in January 2018, Feras Fayyad became the target of a coordinated disinformation and smear campaign orchestrated primarily by Russian state media outlets such as Sputnik News, which published articles labeling the film as "western-funded propaganda" and an "Al-Qaida promotional film," while portraying Fayyad as a terrorist sympathizer and liar. [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] The campaign involved pro-Russian European journalists based in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, who amplified accusations by trawling Fayyad's social media and disseminating personal information about his family and associates. [28] [29] British journalist Vanessa Beeley contributed to the effort through articles and investigations linked to Sputnik, questioning the film's authenticity and tying it to alleged Western conspiracies. [30] [31] Official entities, including the Russian mission to the United Nations, supported the narrative, while Syrian regime figures like Buthaina Shaaban, political advisor to Presidents Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, authored lengthy pieces in outlets such as Al-Watan and Al-Manar, accusing Fayyad of fabricating events and promoting anti-regime propaganda. [32] [33] Syrian state media echoed these claims, and the overall effort encompassed over 40 articles across Russian, pro-Russian, and pro-Assad platforms, aimed at discrediting Fayyad's work and influencing public perception ahead of the Oscars. [34] [35] Fayyad publicly countered these attacks, describing them as an attempt to "hack the Oscars" and suppress freedom of expression, with support from organizations like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the International Documentary Association. [36] [37] [38]

Censorship and bans in Arab countries

Feras Fayyad's documentaries, particularly Last Men in Aleppo (2017), faced significant censorship and bans in several Arab countries due to their critical portrayal of the Syrian civil war and the Assad regime. In Algeria, authorities explicitly refused to screen the film, citing fears of triggering a diplomatic crisis with Syria and Russia [39] [40] , while in Jordan, it was similarly not exhibited amid broader regional sensitivities. In Lebanon, the film was denied screenings despite support from local funding bodies like the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), potentially influenced by Hezbollah's alignment with the Syrian government. In Syria itself, [41] Fayyad's works were outright prohibited, as he remains a target of the regime, having been arrested and tortured in 2011 for his filmmaking activities. Fayyad has publicly confronted these restrictions, attributing them to lingering remnants of regime censorship and external pressures, including Russian influence on global narratives about the conflict, and has continued to advocate for freedom of expression through his ongoing projects. [42] [43]

Witness Role in Syrian Conflict

Documentation of Atrocities

Feras Fayyad collaborated with and mentored multiple groups of local journalists and video activists in Syria. Their work focused on documenting civilian casualties and infrastructure destruction caused by Russian airstrikes and Syrian regime bombardment on civilian populations during the Syrian Civil War.This work involved on-the-ground recording of bombardment campaigns and their aftermath, intended to serve as verifiable evidence for accountability. [44] [45] [46] [47]

Through these documentation initiatives, Fayyad helped preserve unedited visual records that contributed to broader archives highlighting systematic targeting of non-combatants during the Syrian conflict. The footage underwent processes to ensure authenticity, aiding dissemination to human rights organizations for inclusion in reports on violations. [48] [49] [50] [51]

Personal Experiences as Survivor

Feras Fayyad resided in Aleppo during the height of the Syrian Civil War, navigating daily life amid relentless bombardment and regime advances, particularly during the 2016 siege that trapped civilians in the city. [52] He evaded capture by Syrian regime forces for extended periods while moving through contested areas, relying on local networks to avoid checkpoints and surveillance that targeted suspected activists and journalists. [53]

Arrest

When protests began against the Assad government, Fayyad grabbed his camera and went to the streets. He documented the early peaceful demonstrations, the arrests, the ruthless, violent government response, and the shooting of protesters in an attempt to quell the rebellion. He taught others to document the revolt until he was arrested in a policy of sweeping arrests. [54] [55]

Fayyad was arrested twice by Assad regime security forces, enduring severe torture during interrogations intended to extract confessions related to his activities. [56] [57]

Detention

Fayyad spent up to 18 months in his two times imprisonment, [4] [3] He was transferred between a number of detention center of the Syrian intelligence services facilities, In one detention, he was held for nine months in a facility where he accused of spying and anti-regime activities [58] ; witnessed and experienced brutal methods, including beatings and psychological coercion. [59] he was hung by his wrists for hours, lashed, and starved; kept in a filthy communal cell where it was hard to tell who was still alive. Fayyad was convinced he would die in prison. Even fellow inmates said he would not make it out alive. [60]

Release

Fayyad was released without explanation, and his family urged him to leave the country, convinced he would not survive another arrest. He fled Syria soon after [61] . Following his release, Fayyad fled Aleppo and crossed into Jordan, then to Turkey as a refugee, seeking safety amid ongoing threats from the regime. [62] [63] From exile, he snuck back across the Syrian border to the besieged city of Aleppo to film Syrian civilians under bombardment, he persisted in advocating for Syrian survivors, drawing on his firsthand ordeals to highlight the human cost of the conflict without direct involvement in Aleppo's frontlines. [64] These survival experiences profoundly influenced his approach to capturing the war's unfiltered truths. [65] Then he fled to Europe But even then, his torture continued to haunt him, causing physical pain and reoccurring nightmares.

International Criminal Case

Feras Fayyad served as a plaintiff and key witness in the Koblenz trial in Germany, one of the first international prosecutions targeting a direct perpetrator in the Syrian regime's torture networks, specifically against former intelligence colonel Anwar Raslan, charged with crimes against humanity including overseeing thousands of cases of torture and murder at Branch 251 was the unit of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate under the Assad regime concerned with internal security in the Damascus region. Branch 251 operates Al-Khatib prison.

As the first witness to testify in June 2020 with personal experience of the torture rather than stories and reports. [66] Fayyad provided firsthand accounts of regime detention practices, detailing systematic torture methods such as suspension torture ( Strappado "Al-Shabah "), electrocution, prolonged solitary confinement in dark and overcrowded cells, severe beatings during "welcome parties" to extract forced confessions, and sexual violence endured during his own imprisonment in Syrian facilities, which he linked to the broader apparatus Raslan allegedly directed.

The case represented collaboration between Syrian survivors and European judicial authorities, with the German Higher Regional Court in Koblenz applying universal jurisdiction to prosecute Syrian officials, supported by human rights organizations like the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in gathering evidence and facilitating survivor testimonies.[23][6]

In court, Fayyad declines to try to put into words the screams he had heard, but the director says via his interpreter: "One day I will try to describe it in my films". [67]

Court Outcomes and Implications

In January 2022, the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany, convicted former Syrian intelligence official Anwar Raslan of 4,000 counts of crimes against humanity, including torture, murder, and rape, sentencing him to life imprisonment based on survivor testimonies that detailed systematic abuses in Syrian detention centers. An earlier ruling in the same proceedings found co-defendant Eyad al-Gharib guilty of aiding and abetting torture as a crime against humanity, resulting in a four-and-a-half-year sentence, further validating the regime's organized violence against detainees. [68] [69] Feras Fayyad's key firsthand evidence of the systematic sexual violence and torture he endured helped to establish rape and sexual assault as deliberate tools of the regime, contributing significantly to the court's findings on the scale and nature of these crimes. [70] [71]

These verdicts set a legal precedent for the prosecution of Syrian officials in foreign jurisdictions under universal jurisdiction principles, demonstrating the viability of holding absent higher-ranking perpetrators accountable through evidence from defectors and survivors, even without the direct presence of all implicated figures. [72] [73]

The outcomes carry significant implications for male survivors of sexual violence in the Syrian conflict, as the court's explicit acknowledgment of rape and sexual torture as deliberate and systematic regime practices has contributed to reducing stigma around such abuses for male victims and strengthened the role of survivor testimonies in international accountability mechanisms. [74] [75] [76] The testimony of survivors, including that of Feras Fayyad as the first public witness in the trial, played a key role in establishing these violations as crimes against humanity, even in the face of state denials. [77] [78]

Despite the pivotal role of Fayyad’s testimony, he and other male survivors faced extensive smear campaigns and social stigma from various Arab media outlets and activists. These campaigns, often driven by opposition to the trial of Anwar Raslan, sought to undermine the credibility of the survivors by weaponizing social taboos surrounding sexual violence, aiming to delegitimize the legal findings of systematic abuse. [79] [80] [81] [82]

Awards and Recognition

Academy Award Nominations

Feras Fayyad received his first Academy Award nomination in 2018 for Last Men in Aleppo (2017), a documentary chronicling the efforts of rescue workers amid the Syrian conflict in Aleppo, in the Best Documentary Feature category at the 90th Oscars [83] .

He earned a second nomination in 2020 for The Cave (2019), which depicts the operations of an underground hospital in besieged eastern Ghouta, again in Best Documentary Feature at the 92nd Oscars [84] .

These nominations marked Fayyad as the first Syrian director to be recognized by the Academy, highlighting his achievement despite challenges faced by filmmakers from conflict zones, including visa restrictions that complicated his attendance at the ceremonies [85] [86] .

Emmy and Other Honors

Fayyad received the News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary for directing Last Men in Aleppo [87] , which aired on PBS's POV series and chronicled rescue efforts amid the Syrian Civil War. [88] [89] This honor recognized his immersive firsthand footage capturing the human cost of the conflict in Aleppo [90] .

In 2018, Fayyad was inducted as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, affirming his standing among global filmmakers for documentaries addressing humanitarian crises [91] [92] . He has also been appointed by the Academy to mentor emerging directors through masterclasses on filmmaking techniques drawn from his experiences [93] .

Among other recognitions, Fayyad earned the Courage Under Fire Award from the International Documentary Association for his persistent documentation of atrocities despite personal risks [94] . [95] His work has garnered jury prizes at festivals such as Sundance film festival, full frame film festival, TIFF People's Choice Award, 2 times Peabody Awards, 2 times Robert Awards, Critics Choice Awards, the Sarasota Film Festival for Best Documentary Feature, highlighting the impact of his narrative-driven approach to war journalism [96] . [97]

Filmography

Director
Writer
Producer
Editor
Other

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Bedirian, Razmig. "Oscar-shortlisted Syrian filmmaker Feras Fayyad denied US visa". The National. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  2. ↑ Schneider, Michael (14 January 2020). "TV Academies Send Letter to Secretary of State Protesting Denial of Entry for Documentarians". Variety. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 Grobar, Matt (30 October 2019). "Feras Fayyad Sheds A Light On The Heroism Of Female Doctors Saving Lives Of Syrian Innocents In 'The Cave'". Deadline. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Feras Fayyad almost couldn't visit the U.S. because he's Syrian. Now he's going to the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "'Last Men in Aleppo' nominees prevented from attending Oscars". EW.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Syrian victims of torture testify in German court – DW – 06/05/2020". dw.com. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". TPR. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  8. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "'The Cave' Director Talks About Filming a Female-Run Underground Hospital in Syria". Global Citizen. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "This man stayed in Aleppo to make a film as the bombs fell". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Fayyad, Feras (28 February 2018). "Feras Fayyad: 'I never thought as a film-maker that I would feel endangered'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "This man stayed in Aleppo to make a film as the bombs fell". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  13. ↑ Fraser, Nick (12 February 2017). "Shooting Syria: documentaries from the most dangerous place on earth". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  14. ↑ Fraser, Nick (12 February 2017). "Shooting Syria: documentaries from the most dangerous place on earth". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Last Men in Aleppo". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  16. ↑ POV. "Last Men in Aleppo". POV. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  17. ↑ "This man stayed in Aleppo to make a film as the bombs fell". World Economic Forum. Archived from the original on 8 October 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  18. ↑ The Cave. Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  19. ↑ "THE CAVE". DOC NYC. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  20. ↑ POV. "Last Men in Aleppo". POV. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  21. ↑ The Cave. Archived from the original on 17 December 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  22. ↑ Hoffman, Jordan (25 October 2019). "How The Cave Finds Hope Even in the Worst of the Syrian Civil War". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  23. ↑ "Mother Russia Crashes the Oscars (Published 2018)". 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  24. ↑ East, Forbes Middle. "Home Movies: Oscar-Nominated Syrian Director Feras Fayyad Is Readying His Next Film". Forbes ME. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Solon, Olivia (6 February 2018). "'Russia wants to hack the Oscars': smear campaign targets Syrian nominee". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  26. ↑ Fayyad, Feras (28 February 2018). "Feras Fayyad: 'I never thought as a film-maker that I would feel endangered'". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  27. ↑ Johnson, Ted (25 February 2018). "PopPolitics: Feras Fayyad Counters Russian Effort to Discredit 'Last Men in Aleppo'". Variety. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  28. ↑ Johnson, Ted (25 February 2018). "PopPolitics: Feras Fayyad Counters Russian Effort to Discredit 'Last Men in Aleppo' (Listen)". Variety. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  29. ↑ Miller, Mary Alice (1 March 2018). "Trump and Putin Are Working Overtime to Make Sure You Don't See This Oscar-Nominated Doc". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  30. ↑ Johnson, Ted (25 February 2018). "PopPolitics: Feras Fayyad Counters Russian Effort to Discredit 'Last Men in Aleppo' (Listen)". Variety. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  31. ↑ Solon, Olivia (6 February 2018). "'Russia wants to hack the Oscars': smear campaign targets Syrian nominee". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  32. ↑ "New Cinema in Syria: The revolution continues, but so does censorship". openDemocracy. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  33. ↑ Barrow, Mark (8 April 2022). "A Cat-and-Mouse Game? How Syrian Citizen Journalists Evade State Repression". manaramagazine. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  34. ↑ "Statement in Support of Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, and 'Last Men in Aleppo' | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  35. ↑ "Statement in Support of Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, and 'Last Men in Aleppo'". International Documentary Association. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  36. ↑ East, Forbes Middle. "Home Movies: Oscar-Nominated Syrian Director Feras Fayyad Is Readying His Next Film". Forbes ME. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  37. ↑ Solon, Olivia (6 February 2018). "'Russia wants to hack the Oscars': smear campaign targets Syrian nominee". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  38. ↑ "Statement in Support of Feras Fayyad, Kareem Abeed, and 'Last Men in Aleppo' | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  39. ↑ Issa, Rashed (14 September 2018). ""The Last Men in Aleppo" is banned in Algeria...and no one protests". Almodon.com (in Arabic). Lebanon.
  40. ↑ Al-Rifai الرفاعي, Fares فارس (12 September 2018). "To avoid angering Assad and Putin, "The Last Men in Aleppo" is banned in Algeria. تجنبا لغضب الأسد وبوتين.. "آخر الرجال في حلب" ممنوع بالجزائر" (in Arabic). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "New Cinema in Syria: The revolution continues, but so does censorship". openDemocracy. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  42. ↑ Johnson, Ted (25 February 2018). "PopPolitics: Feras Fayyad Counters Russian Effort to Discredit 'Last Men in Aleppo' (Listen)". Variety. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  43. ↑ Fayyad, Feras (28 February 2018). "Feras Fayyad: 'I never thought as a film-maker that I would feel endangered'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 15 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "AwardsWatch - Interview: Feras Fayyad on how his Oscar-shortlisted LAST MEN IN ALEPPO is an Urgent Cry for Humanity". AwardsWatch. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  45. ↑ Fraser, Nick (12 February 2017). "Shooting Syria: documentaries from the most dangerous place on earth". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  46. ↑ "Among Aleppo's White Helmets". www.dfi.dk. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  47. ↑ "Feras Fayyad almost couldn't visit the U.S. because he's Syrian. Now he's going to the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  48. ↑ "cineSOURCE magazine". cinesourcemagazine.com. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  49. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  50. ↑ Vyšniauskas, Karolis. "Feras Fayyad: 'Everyone Who Saw My Film Is a Witness of a War Crime' | NARA". nara.lt. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  51. ↑ Orto, Nino (2 July 2018). "Interview: Firas Fayyad - "My documentary has evidence of Al-Asad's War Crimes."". Matthew Williams. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  52. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  53. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  54. ↑ "Among Aleppo's White Helmets". www.dfi.dk. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  55. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  56. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  57. ↑ "'The White Helmets made me believe in humanity' – DW – 03/15/2017". dw.com. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  58. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  59. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (25 February 2018). "'Last Man in Aleppo's' Feras Fayyad Talks Being the First Oscar-Nominated Syrian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  60. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  61. ↑ "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  62. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (25 February 2018). "'Last Man in Aleppo's' Feras Fayyad Talks Being the First Oscar-Nominated Syrian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  63. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  64. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  65. ↑ Kinosian, Janet (15 February 2018). "In chronicling the war in Syria, Feras Fayyad knew he was documenting history before it could be reshaped". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  66. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  67. ↑ "Syrian victims of torture testify in German court – DW – 06/05/2020". dw.com. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  68. ↑ "German court finds Syrian colonel guilty of crimes against humanity". www.bbc.com. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  69. ↑ "Koblenz Court Issues Verdict in the Case of Anwar Raslan | cijaonline.org". Commission for International Justice and Accountability. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  70. ↑ Carey, Matthew (25 March 2025). "Oscar-Nominated Director Feras Fayyad On The Fall Of Syria's Bashar Al-Assad, The Man Who Ordered His Imprisonment And Torture". Deadline. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  71. ↑ "'I fear bumping into my torturers in the street'". 29 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  72. ↑ Sinha, Rohan (5 May 2022). "German Court Finds Syrian Government Practices Constitute Crimes Against Humanity". GPIL - German Practice in International Law. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  73. ↑ "Syria: Against impunity for the perpetrators – Stiftung Menschenrechte". www.stiftung-menschenrechte.de. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  74. ↑ "ECCHR: First criminal trial worldwide on torture in Syria". www.ecchr.eu. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  75. ↑ "Syrian security officer Eyad al-Gharib imprisoned for four and half years". Amnesty International. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  76. ↑ "Germany: Conviction for State Torture in Syria | Human Rights Watch". 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  77. ↑ "S1E7: Syrian Witnesses Speak". 75 Podcasts. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  78. ↑ "Universal jurisdiction: the unthinkable becomes thinkable". Justice Visions. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  79. ↑ Amos, Deborah (1 July 2020). "Syrian Filmmaker Speaks Out On Torture: 'I Was Holding This Pain For A Long Time'". NPR. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  80. ↑ ""They drank coffee, smoked - and tortured us"". Kulturaustausch. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  81. ↑ وطفة, لونا (14 January 2022). "Koblenz trial 09.12.2021: Closing statement of plaintiff and witness Feras Fayyad before Koblenz Court: « All of this is a punishment for me as a documentary film maker because I dared to tell the story » – Syrian Center for Legal Studies and Research" . Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  82. ↑ "S1E7: Syrian Witnesses Speak". 75 Podcasts. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  83. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (25 February 2018). "'Last Man in Aleppo's' Feras Fayyad Talks Being the First Oscar-Nominated Syrian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  84. ↑ "Feras Fayyad almost couldn't visit the U.S. because he's Syrian. Now he's going to the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  85. ↑ Riefe, Jordan (25 February 2018). "'Last Man in Aleppo's' Feras Fayyad Talks Being the First Oscar-Nominated Syrian". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  86. ↑ "Feras Fayyad almost couldn't visit the U.S. because he's Syrian. Now he's going to the Oscars". Los Angeles Times. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  87. ↑ Newbould, Chris. "Syrian doc 'Last Men in Aleppo' picks up Documentary Emmy". The National. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  88. ↑ Schneider, Michael (14 January 2020). "TV Academies Send Letter to Secretary of State Protesting Denial of Entry for Documentarians". Variety. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  89. ↑ The Emmy Awards (2 October 2018). Current Affairs Documentary. "POV: Last Men in Aleppo" . Retrieved 12 January 2026– via YouTube.
  90. ↑ "Feras Fayyad". www.dfi.dk. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  91. ↑ Fayyad, Feras. "Feras Fayyad | Speaker | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  92. ↑ "ACADEMY INVITES 928 TO MEMBERSHIP | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  93. ↑ "Fayyad". www.vatmh.org. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  94. ↑ "IDA Documentary Awards 2017 - LAST MEN IN ALEPPO | International Documentary Association". www.documentary.org. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  95. ↑ "AFAC". www.arabculturefund.org. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  96. ↑ "Feras Fayyad". www.dfi.dk. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  97. ↑ Last Men in Aleppo (2017) - Awards - IMDb . Retrieved 12 January 2026– via www.imdb.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.