“Artists in Syria, they have a weapon – their creativity!” Meet three Syrian artists – Rami Farah, Golan Haji and Mohamad Omran – for a conversation about the role of culture in the uprising against the Syrian regime.
Even though large parts of the western audience and governments seem to be reluctant towards the uprising in Syria, for the Syrian people and intellectuals it is a revolution, says the writer and poet Golan Haji (b.1977). “And actually a question of life and death.”
Video-artist and dancer Rami Farah (b.1980) points out the exposed position of the Syrian cultural elite. “At the beginning of the revolution, the people waited for the artists to engage themselves.” While everybody in Syria is conscious of the fact, that artists are peaceful activists, the Syrian regime – because of the artists’ popularity among the Syrian people – tried to expose them as terrorists.
Award winning Syrian artist Mohamad Omran (b.1979) focuses on the future of the country. “We want an open culture, where you can do and express, whatever you want.” All three intellectuals had to flee the country and speak about the feeling of guilt, living in a safe haven, while their relatives are passing “through the gate of nightmare”. But as Golan Haji expresses it: “When Odysseus turned back, he asked the gods, why did you create misfortune? And they answered him: ‘So the future generations – what are they going to sing about?”
Rami Farah, Golan Haji and Mohamad Omran were interviewed by Marc-Christoph Wagner.
Camera: Jonas Hjort
Edited: Jonas Hjort
Produced by: Marc-Christoph Wagner, 2013
Music: Anouar Brahem РAstrakan Caf̩
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
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Louisiana Channel is a non-profit video channel for the Internet launched by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in November 2012. Each week Louisiana Channel will publish videos about and with artists in visual art, literature, architcture, design etc.
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Supported by Nordea-fonden.
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