Syria
Two Minutes with Molly Crabapple
Heenali Patel sat down with artist and journalist Molly Crabapple to discuss ‘Scenes from the Syrian War’, her collection of illustrations made in collaboration with Syrian writer Marwan Hisham. Using photos sent via cell phone, Molly recreated rare glimpses of daily life in ISIS-occupied areas of Syria. Filmed by Adam Barr.
An Evening with Molly Crabapple: Drawing Blood
We live in an age of frenetic journalism. When the internet can deliver any snapshot of the world to us at the press of a button, it is easy to forget that there are some places the camera cannot go.
This is Exile: Stories of Syrian Refugee Children
The civil war in Syria is never far from our front pages and minds, particularly with the continual images and stories of refugees dominating the media and political agenda. It is a story we all think we are familiar with.
Insight with Zaina Erhaim: Syria’s Rebellious Women
Join us for a discussion with IWPR’s Syria coordinator and award-winning Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim. This event will feature a screening of Zaina’s short films from the series Syria’s Rebellious Women, offering a rare insight into the challenges facing women living and working in rebel-held parts of Syria.
Insight with Molly Crabapple: Drawing Blood
Acclaimed journalist and artist Molly Crabapple has drawn and reported on stories from Guantanamo Bay, Syria, the West Bank, Iraqi Kurdistan and across the United States. With her powerful illustrations she has pushed the boundaries of visual reportage – and established an important place for art in hard news. On the release of her memoir Drawing Blood, she will be joining us to reflect on recent work and to share her personal insight into the use of art as a tool for better understanding and documenting current events.
Dispatches from Syria: Insight with Janine di Giovanni
A full house convened at the Frontline Club on Wednesday 17 February for an audience with journalist Janine di Giovanni to mark the launch of her new book, The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches from Syria. Di Giovanni, who first travelled to Syria in 2012, was joined by BBC HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur to discuss […]
My Jihad: Confronting Extremism in Belgium
By May Bulman Belgian journalist Rudi Vranckx joined an audience at the Frontline Club on Monday 1 February 2016 to discuss his documentary My Jihad, in which he explores how a small Belgian community is confronting extremism.
Screening – This is Exile: Diaries of Child Refugees + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Mani Benchelah.
Over the course of a year, Emmy Award-winning director Mani Benchelah made this intimate portrait of Syrian refugee children forced to flee from the violence of civil war to neighbouring Lebanon. It tells the stories of the children’s lives in their own words and captures the moving truth of how they deal with loss, hardship and dashed hopes.
War Zone Freelance Exhibition – The Story Behind the News
By Thomas Colson A panel of freelance journalists and photographers joined an audience at the Frontline Club on Thursday 28 January 2016 to discuss the story behind a new exhibition of freelance war photography. Osie Greenway, Anne Alling, Benjamin Hiller and Jeffry Ruigendijk introduced photography and footage from their time in the Middle East – particularly Iraq, Syria and Lebanon […]
Gordon Brown, Julia Gillard & Kevin Watkins Discuss Funding Education for Syrian Child Refugees
By Charlotte Beale United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined chair of the Global Partnership for Education and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Overseas Development Institute’s Executive Director Kevin Watkins at the Frontline Club on 25 January 2016 to discuss Funding for Syrian Child Refugees, on […]
Gordon Brown, Julia Gillard and Kevin Watkins Discuss Funding Education for Child Refugees – in Pictures
Photographs by Tolly Robinson – Monday 25 January 2016 On a panel moderated by David Loyn, Gordon Brown, Julia Gillard and Kevin Watkins discussed funding education for Syrian child refugees.
Insight with Janine di Giovanni – Dispatches From Syria
In May 2012, Janine di Giovanni travelled to Syria, the trip would mark the beginning of a relationship with the country that would continue to draw her back, as the situation rapidly became one of the most brutal conflicts in recent history. She will be joining us, in conversation with BBC HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur, to share the stories of the people she has encountered in Syria and her experience of covering the country.
The Fight Against Daesh: Symptoms and Causes
By Antonia Roupell A panel discussion focused on The Fight Against Daesh made for a timely first First Wednesday of the year at the Frontline Club. The packed event on 6 January was chaired by David Loyn, foreign correspondent for the BBC for over 30 years. The speakers included Richard Spencer, Middle East editor of The Daily and Sunday […]
Announcing Frontline Club Istanbul: A Syrian Love Story – Turkish Preview Screening + Q&A
Thursday 21 January 2016, 6:00 PM SALT Galata, Garanti Bankası, Bankalar Caddesi 11, Karaköy 34420, Istanbul Please email Istanbul@frontlineclub.com to register to attend this event We are thrilled to announce our first Frontline Club event in Turkey on 21 January 2016, which will mark the start of regular screenings and discussions taking place in Istanbul as part […]
First Wednesday: The Fight Against Daesh
Since the Paris attacks on 13 November, world leaders have seemingly put grievances aside to unite in a newly energised fight against Daesh – but what can be achieved by bombing the already bombed-out cities of Syria? For the first First Wednesday of 2016 we will be bringing together a panel to discuss the diplomatic, logistical and ideological challenges of the fight against Daesh.
Nawal El Saadawi: Religion, Feminism and Egyptian Politics
By Ayman Al-Juzi On Monday 26 October, renowned Egyptian writer, feminist and activist Nawal El Saadawi joined journalist Wendell Steavenson and a packed audience at the Frontline Club for a discussion that spanned the topics of linguistic philosophy, feminism and globalisation – all of which were explored in the context of El Saadawi‘s own life […]
UK Premiere: At Home in the World + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Andreas Koefoed.
This remarkably intimate and touching documentary focuses on one Danish Red Cross school for refugees, where classrooms are filled with children from more than twelve countries. The students have had to learn Danish while adjusting to new surroundings and, in some cases, dealing with the traumas of conflict.
Theo Padnos in Conversation with James Harkin: Kidnapping, Freelance Journalists and the Rise of Islamic State in Syria
James Harkin and Theo Padnos will be joining us to discuss the dangers to freelancers in Syria and how to avoid them, how to survive captivity and torture, the descent of Syria and the rise of the Islamic State.
This event is off the record, please refrain from filming and reporting the discussion.
From Damascus to France: A Syrian Love Story
By Francis Churchill The plight of Syrians has returned to the headlines following the recent release of a tragic image of young Aylan Kurdi lying dead in the sand. It is easy to forget that the current situation in Syria, and the millions of refugees who have been forced to flee the country, has its roots in […]
Caesar Photos: Inside the Syrian Authorities’ Prisons + Panel Debate
In collaboration with the Syrian Association for Missing and Conscience Detainees and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces we are hosting The Caesar Exhibition at the Frontline Club for one day only. The images will be on display on Tuesday 6 October from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM – the exhibition is open to all and there is no need to book to attend.
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
The images will be on display – there is no need to book to attend.
3:00 PM – 4.45 PM
Stephen Rapp, Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, will give a speech and is available for questions.
7:00 – 8.30 PM
Panel discussion on ensuring accountability and justice
Screening: A Syrian Love Story + Q&A
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Sean McAllister.
Amer, 45, met Raghda, 40, in a Syrian prison cell 15 years ago. Over months they communicated through a tiny hole they’d secretly made in the wall. They fell in love and when released, married and started a family together. This film tells the poignant story of their family torn apart by the tyrannical Assad dictatorship.
Syria: Failures of the International Community and the Search for Accountability
By Antonia Roupell Nearly three years on from President Obama’s infamous ‘red line’ statement, Syrian activist and filmmaker Orwa Nyrabia, Syrian human rights lawyer Laila Alodaat, journalist Jonathan Littell and Nerma Jelacic of the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA), joined an audience at the Frontline Club on Thursday 21 May. In a discussion chaired by Owen Bennett-Jones, host of Newshour […]
Insight with Samar Yazbek: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria
Weaving together stories of hardship and brutality with touches of humanity, Samar Yazbek‘s new book The Crossing documents several dangerous clandestine trips she took into the North of her country and is testimony to the appalling reality that is Syria today. She will be joining us in conversation with Syrian writer and broadcaster, Rana Kabbani, to share her observations and what she heard from the people about their hopes and fears for the future.
Rice Pudding and Lego Men: A Blueprint for Revolution
By Elliott Goat “Creativity always wins out over power.” – Srdja Popovic To mark the release of his new book, Blueprint for Revolution: How to use rice pudding, Lego men, and other non-violent techniques to galvanise communities, overthrow dictators, or simply change the world, the Frontline Club hosted a conversation with Serbian author and activist […]
Syria: Beyond the Red Line
Red lines have been set and crossed, inquiries have been conducted and talks have been attempted, and yet the conflict in Syria continues to devastate the lives of its population. Over four years since the conflict in Syria began, we will be asking if there is any sign of light at the end of the tunnel.
The New Censorship and the Global Battle for Press Freedom
By Josie Leblond What are journalists worth in an age where anyone can tell their own story online? Has their diminishing value led to the growing violence against journalists across the world? This is the argument that executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Joel Simon, put forward at the Frontline Club on Tuesday 17 March. […]
Shorts at the Frontline Club
By Olivia Acland On Friday 16 January, the Frontline Club was at full capacity for an evening that showcased the diverse faces of documentary filmmaking, both journalistic and poetic. The documentaries screened offered snapshots into five very different worlds, allowing the audience to glimpse the lives of remarkable individuals in addition to illuminating pressing issues, […]
UK’s Laws for Foreign Fighters Returning from Syria Need Nuance
By Graham Lanktree At the Frontline Club on 14 January, Shiraz Maher, a senior research fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ISCR) at King’s College; Moazzam Begg, a former Guantánamo Bay prisoner turned activist with the UK group Cage; and former MI6 director of global counter-terrorism Richard Barrett, now […]
Kidnap, Ransom and Blackouts
The scale of journalist and aid-worker kidnappings in Syria has raised questions about government policies on paying ransoms and the use of media blackouts. We will be bringing together a panel to debate the current policies towards ransom and blackouts. We will be asking if they need to be reformed, and if so, what they should look like in the future.
This event is off the record, please refrain from filming and reporting the discussion.
The Fate of Foreign Fighters Returning from Syria and Iraq
Foreign fighters are travelling to Syria and Iraq on an ‘unprecedented scale’ according to a recent United Nations report. In the UK a new Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill proposing new counter-terror powers, including temporary exclusion orders and the powers to seize passports of terror suspects, has been met by concern that it threatens civil liberties. We will be joined by a panel of experts to debate this new bill and the measures it sets out.
