AN award-winning documentary about two journalists finding love amid the war in Syria is to be shown at Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT).
Birds of War tells the story of a long-distance relationship between BBC correspondent Janay Boulos, who was living in London and photographer Abd Alkader Habak, who resided in Syria during the war.
Boulos, originally from Lebanon, was working with the BBC's Arabic service in 2016 when she remotely connected with Habak, asking him to help supply her with footage from Bashar Al-Assad's Syria.
The pair worked together to highlight Assad's crimes against his own people, with Habak documenting events in his hometown of Idlib and the city of Aleppo.
The emotive film visually documents the pair's 13-year relationship, telling their story through voice notes, texts, and video diaries, which unfold in real time.
Throughout the film, their connection blossoms from a professional working relationship to a personal one of deep care and concern for each other.
When an act of compassion forces Habak to flee Syria, their relationship enters a new phase, and for the first time, they meet in person.
While Assad's ousting in 2024 has changed the situation in Syria dramatically, and the pair now live together in London, Israel's war on Lebanon has brought war to the forefront of their minds once again.
Earlier this year, Birds of War won an award for journalistic impact at the Sundance Film Festival, and will make its Glasgow debut on Monday, July 6 at 8pm.
For the first screening, The National's foreign editor, David Pratt, will give an introduction to the film before chairing a Q&A with the directors afterwards.
Pratt describes the film as "powerful and heartfelt" and a "must-see".
More information and tickets can be found on the GFT website.
