Origin: Syria | Fiction | Director: Hatem Ali | 94 minutes

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The Long Night (Al Layl Al Taweel)

Hatem Ali 2009 fiction 94 min.

The Long Night (Al Layl Al Taweel) is amongst the boldest and most unique
feature length dramas in the conditional oeuvre of Syrian cinema. Four
prisoners are about to be released after serving 20 years as political
detainees. About to return to society, they grapple with complications that
have developed in their absence: new towns, new ideologies but most of all,
new family dynamics. Questions arise as to what extent their political
dissidence was worth their separations from families and the losses their
loved ones have endured. While some stand fast to their choices, others
look to turn a new page... Made in 2009, the film is yet to be released in
Syria, despite being a production ostensibly supported by the regime. The
film, while reflecting a short era of reconciliation and reduced censorship
attempted by Bashar Al Assad, remains highly relevant today for its
treatments of forced loyalty signatures, arbitrary judgements, and
systematic torture. The Long Night has won numerous awards, including at
Cairo and New Delhi film festivals.