Discover the best of Syrian cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Syria. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Syria
Syrian cinema began remarkably early with "Al Muttaham al Baree" (The Innocent Suspect) premiering in 1928, coming less than a year after Egypt produced its first feature-length film. This pioneering 30-minute production showcased Damascus as an ambitious cinematic centre from the industry's earliest days. The golden era emerged through the National Film Organization, which enjoyed high degree of autonomy and produced innovative and high-quality films by Syrian and Arab directors. This period, described by documentary filmmaker Omar Amiralay as a particularly exciting "golden age", fostered remarkable talent including Nabil al-Maleh, Mohamed Malas, Samir Zekry, Raymond Boutros, Maher Kido, Riyad Chia and Abdullatif Abdel-Hamid. Notable films include "The Dupes" (1972), Mohammed Malas's "Dreams of the City" (1983), Oussama Mohammed's "Stars in Broad Daylight" (1988) and Nabil Maleh's "The Extras" (1993). Syria also produced internationally renowned filmmaker Moustapha al Akkad, best known for producing the original Halloween series and directing "The Message" and "Lion of the Desert". Television has been equally influential across the Arab world. "Bab Al-Hara," set in the 1930s and 1940s, became one of the most popular Ramadan series in Arab history, watched by tens of millions. Syrian dramas have consistently dominated regional television, setting standards for production quality and storytelling sophistication. What makes Syrian cinema distinctive is its blend of artistic ambition with social consciousness. Despite facing numerous challenges, Syrian filmmakers have consistently produced works that resonate throughout the Arab world, establishing the nation as a cornerstone of Middle Eastern cinema and television culture.
Best Syrian series
Bab Al-Hara - باب الحارة 2006
Follow the daily happenings and family dramas in a neighborhood in Damascus, Syria in the inter-war period under French rule when the local population yearned for independence. The appeal is cross-generational, and viewers include Muslims, Christians, Druze and Jews from Arab countries.
72Lost village 2008
It presents the details of the lives of its simple heroes who live in a small forgotten village in the beautiful Syrian mountains, called “Um al-Tafnaz al-Fawqa”.
74The Agent 2024
A police captain infiltrates a notorious gang, only to find himself going deeper down the rabbit hole.
84Unknown Culprit 2021
The story opens with the murder of businessman Faisal Muthanna, ruled a homicide likely perpetrated by someone who wanted to rob him of his wealth. Elsewhere, Samir, a despairing tailor and taxi driver, reunites with his friend Yazen after years of war separated them.
70Al Zennd - Wolf of Al Assi 2023
The story is set in a fiery period at the end of the 19th century in a tense atmosphere charged with the premonitions of the First World War. After Assi Al-Zand's discharge from military service and his return to his village on the banks of the Orontes river, he is caught up in a series of conflicts and conspiracies involving the region's leading political figures.
71Regret 2015
A writer in his forty, writing about his wealthy family before and after the Syrian crisis, to review the living conditions since 2003 until now.
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Best Syrian movies
Return to Homs 2013
Filmed over 3 years in Homs, accompanying 2 outstanding young men from the time they were only dreaming of freedom to the time when they are forced to change course. Basset, the 19yo national football team goalkeeper, who became an outspoken demonstration leader in the city, then an icon revolution singer, till he becomes a fighter... a militia leader. Ossama, his 24yo friend, renowned citizen journalist, cynical pacifist... as his views are forced to change, until he is detained by army secret service. It is the story of a city, of which the world have heard a lot, but never really got closer than news, never really had the chance to experience how a war erupted. a modern times epic of youth in war time.
74The Dupes 1972
The film follows three Palestinian refugees brought together by dispossession and hope for a better future. Hiding in the tank of a truck, the men attempt to make their way across the border into Kuwait, the "promised land." A masterful adaptation of Ghassan Kanafani's novel Men Under the Sun, The Dupes is also one of the first Arab films to address the Palestinian predicament.
70Morning Star 2019
The film sheds light on the kidnapping of Syrian women who were subjected to torture during the years of the Syrian civil war, and the suffering they had to endure along with their families.
100I Am the One Who Brings Flowers to Her Grave 2006
Interviews with three Syrian women who live in exile.
100Color 2023
Saeed is a young man sees his life in Black and White, but there is a few things can bring back the Colors to his life, and he wants to feel something through them.
100The End Will Be Spectacular 2019
Zilan, a young woman, returns to her home town looking for traces of her dead brother, killed by ISIS. But her town is not what it used to be: social and political tensions have escalated into a state of war. The people have risen up to demand their political autonomy and the police and army repress them with brutal force. But the city’s resistance will go on for more than 100 days and Zilan will not remain a passive witness. Based on the diaries of those who died fighting and the testimony of survivors, who are the protagonists of the film, Çelik's first feature explores concepts such as hope, friendship, sacrifice and loss in the struggle for freedom of a group of young people.
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