In Syria

An old man stands smoking at the window. Two girls argue about who gets to use the bathroom first. Their mother prepares breakfast. And a young couple happily gaze at their sleeping newborn baby. But appearances are deceiving: the people in these supposedly safe “four walls” are in Damascus during the Syrian civil war. The resolute housewife Oum Yazan (Hiam Abbass) hides her family, consisting of her father-in-law and three children, as well as other people seeking shelter, in the apartment. Disaster lurks outside the walls: explosions, helicopters, and snipers dominate life. Windows are covered, water and electricity are scarce. “Inside Life” is an emotionally stirring chamber drama about the civilian population in the Syrian civil war. With almost documentary-like directness, it shows how passivity in the face of war in an apartment becomes a psychological burden and a moral ordeal. Director Philippe Van Leeuw celebrated the premiere of his powerful, haunting film at the 2017 Berlinale, where, despite the serious subject matter, it won the Audience Award in the Panorama section. "The outside world has figuratively disappeared in ‘Inner Life’. All that exists is the interior of the small apartment where nine people have found refuge from the horrors of war, but still have to live in constant fear. Only once in the course of the film does the camera leave the protective yet oppressive walls of the apartment. “Inside Life” is a war film in extreme close-up: the all-encompassing horror of the war in Syria is dealt with here on a micro level, revealing itself in a very immediate way." (Tim Lindemann, on: epd-film.de) "The unusual form of this anti-war film as a chamber drama creates the highest intensity. Precisely because we learn so little about the circumstances of life before and the events outside, the viewer's imagination and attention are challenged to the utmost. Outstanding actors compel our sympathy, and this applies not only to the three important female roles. Each character has their own weight and asserts their humanity in inhuman times." (Hannelore Heider, for: Deutschlandfunk Kultur)