LAST MEN IN ALLEPO (F/F) (2017) 

Synopsis

“That mother@#$%er Bashar has us watching the sky constantly,” says plain-speaking father of two, Khaled, early into this frontline study of three reluctant heroes. Khaled, Mahmoud and Subhi, are all volunteers of the White Helmets Syrian Civil Defence, who rescue neighbours in war-torn, besieged Aleppo. Told from their perspective, Fayyad captures the unbroken cycle of waiting and devastation that characterises Syria's asymmetrical war. When a young boy quizzes Mahmoud about being saved, his rescuer responds: “You’re a flower and you must see life.” At times claustrophobic and tragic, this film is nonetheless leavened by its searing grace. It stands testimony to the humility and determination of the people of Aleppo.