23rd Verzió Festival 16–25/11 2026.

Birds of War

Birds of War

Poster
Birds of War poster
Directed by

Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak

United Kingdom, Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon | 2026 | 92 min | Arabic, English
Full Synopsis

From besieged Aleppo to the confines of a London newsroom, Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos and Syrian activist /cameraman Abd Alkader Habak retrace their love story, using their vast personal archives stretching over 13 years of revolutions, war and exile. Can their love survive distance, danger, and differences?

Producer
Janay Boulos
Abd Alkader Habak
Sonja Henrici
Screenwriter
Janay Boulos
Abd Alkader Habak
Cinematographer
Janay Boulos
Abd Alkader Habak
Editor
Claire Ferguson
Will Hewitt
Production Company
Habak Films
Sonja Henrici Creates
Distribution
Tom Howson
DOGWOOF
tom@dogwoof.com
Festivals & Awards
Sundance 2026 – Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact
Thessaloniki 2026 – FIPRESCI Award for Best Feature Documentary
Visions du Réel 2026 – Audience Award, Grand Angle
In Cinemas Only
11. 17. TUESDAY 16:00
Screening
Toldi - David Lynch Hall
Subtitle: English SDH
11. 23. MONDAY 20:30
Screening
Toldi - Béla Balázs Hall
Subtitle: Hungarian SDH

Trailer

Trailer
Remote video URL
Directors
Janay Boulos Director
Janay Boulos

Janay Boulos is a Lebanese journalist and filmmaker with extensive experience documenting the Middle East. From 2012-2021, she worked for BBC News across television, radio and digital platforms. In 2021, she founded Habak Films with Syrian filmmaker Abd Alkader Habak. Janay has produced documentaries for BBC News and Al Jazeera Arabic, bringing Middle Eastern stories to global audiences. Her professional development includes IDFA Project Space, Documentary Campus Masterschool, and Sheffield DocFest's Future Producer School. In 2023, she received the IDA Logan Elevate grant.

Abd Alkader Habak Cinematographer
Abd Alkader Habak

Abd Alkader Habak ("Habak") brings first-hand experience as a Syrian cinematographer who documented the Syrian conflict over six years (2011- 2017). Working in dangerous environments, he collaborated with BBC and CNN as cameraman and field producer. His work during the siege of Aleppo—before fleeing in 2017—resulted in extraordinary archive footage documenting the Syrian revolution and war. Now London-based, Habak continues documentary. His recent short "Syria's Last Chapter" was commissioned by Al Jazeera Witness (December 2024). He is also in production with a feature documentary called “Until the Buzzing Stops”

Trigger Warnings