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The Other Side of the Sun

Panorama Dokumente 2026
© Sameer Orabi
Years ago, filmmaker Tawfik Sabouni was released from Saidnaya, the infamous Syrian prison also known as “the other side of the sun”. In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Assad’s regime in December 2024, the filmmaker returns to the site of his detention. He does not intend to reopen wounds but instead to restore what systematic violence tried to erase: voices, stories and humanity. Sabouni invites four fellow survivors of Saidnaya to join him. Together, they return to the physical spaces where they were tortured and dehumanised for years, and engage in a carefully constructed re-enactment of their confinement: daily rituals, gestures and moments of survival. Filmed inside the former prison, these re-enactments become a means to express what language alone cannot contain. With restraint, the film confronts the viewer with the enduring marks of imprisonment and gives a voice not only to these five men but also to those thousands who did not survive the Assad regime and whose families are still searching for answers.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Tawfik Sabouni (Director, Screenplay), Laurine Estrade (Screenplay)
with Tawfik Sabouni, Mahmoud Alqadah, Abdelkafi Alhaj, Mohammad Hamki, Abdelhamid Jadoue Belgium / France / Saudi Arabia 2026 Arabic 92' Colour World premiere | Debut film | Documentary form

With

  • Tawfik Sabouni
  • Mahmoud Alqadah
  • Abdelkafi Alhaj
  • Mohammad Hamki
  • Abdelhamid Jadoue

Crew

Director Tawfik Sabouni
Screenplay Tawfik Sabouni, Laurine Estrade
Cinematography Sameer Orabi
Editing Dani Abo Louh
Music Sami Abou Louh
Sound Design Lucas Lauwers
Producers Julie Freres, Jean-Baptiste Bonnet
Executive Producer Ziad Ali
Co-Producer Hanne Phlypo

Produced by

Dérives

Lüttich, Belgium

Habilis Productions

La Ferté-en-Ouche, France

Co-produced by

Clin d’oeil films

Brüssel, Belgium

World Sales

Andana Films

Lussas, France

Photos

Tawfik Sabouni

The Belgian-Syrian director and screenwriter was born in Damascus. After studying law for three years, he changed to film and took a degree in directing at INSAS – Institut Supérieur des Arts in Brussels. In addition to two years of actor training, he has worked for a number of radio stations and has done voice dubbing for various series. His two short films, Au bord de la folie and L’apatride, have screened at several international festivals.

Filmography

2021 Au bord de la folie (On the Edge of Madness); short film 2022 L’apatride (Stateless); short film 2026 The Other Side of the Sun; documentary, Berlinale 2026

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026