Syrian TV Industry Rebuilds After Assad’s Fall, Tests New Creative Boundaries

Syria's renowned television drama industry is experiencing a renaissance following the end of the Assad regime, with exiled actors returning home and productions tackling previously forbidden subjects. However, creators are navigating new censorship challenges while working to heal a nation divided by 14 years of civil war through storytelling.

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — Throughout the Arab world, Ramadan brings not only fasting and prayer, but also the cherished annual tradition of television drama series specially produced for viewing during the holy month.

Following their evening meal, families across the region settle in to watch their favorite selections from the year’s collection of soap operas and dramatic productions, enjoying sweets, nuts, tea and coffee late into the night.

Syrian productions have long held the most prestigious position in this tradition. While Egypt dominates cinema and Lebanon leads in music, Syria’s television series have maintained their reputation as the region’s finest for many years.

Now, as Syria moves forward from 14 years of devastating civil war, more than a year since Islamist-led forces ended the Assad family’s authoritarian rule, the country’s television sector is working to establish itself within the new political landscape.

During Assad’s reign, when political speech faced severe restrictions, “television became the main sort of platform for freedom of expression and also for employment for artists and intellectuals,” serving as a space where creators could carefully challenge limits, explained Christa Salamandra, an anthropology professor at Lehman College and the City University of New York who studies Syrian drama.

When widespread anti-government demonstrations began in 2011, they were crushed violently and escalated into civil war.

Following that turning point, “the industry fractured,” Salamandra noted. “Creatives went into exile — or they stayed, but it split.”

Now that Assad has fallen, performers and filmmakers previously separated by political divisions are collaborating once more. Productions exploring formerly prohibited subjects, such as torture within Assad’s infamous detention facilities, are being filmed within Syria’s borders.

However, like all aspects of the new Syria, the post-conflict future of television drama remains complex.

During a cold day in the week leading up to Ramadan, a film crew had converted an Aleppo street into an enchanting scene.

Though destroyed buildings in the distance served as stark reminders that the city had been a major battlefield during Syria’s conflict, the cameras had recreated the atmosphere of a bygone era. Vintage automobiles from the 1970s and a horse-drawn cart filled the street while a vendor in traditional headwear offered sahlep, a warm spiced milk beverage.

The production, “Al-Souriyoun al-Aada” (“The Syrian Enemies”), adapts a novel that authorities banned under Assad due to its examination of troubling periods in Syrian history, including the 1982 “Hama massacre.” During that event, then-President Hafez Assad commanded forces to attack Hama to suppress a Muslim Brotherhood uprising, resulting in 10,000 to 40,000 deaths or disappearances during the month-long offensive that devastated the city.

The television adaptation features Yara Sabri, a well-known performer who spent years abroad due to her Assad opposition, portraying the mother of a disturbed young man from an Alawite community who becomes influential within the nation’s oppressive security system.

Wissam Rida, who portrays her son, explained that as an emerging actor in Damascus, working alongside exiled celebrities like Sabri seemed impossible.

“I used to watch them when I was younger and wish that I could work with them,” he explained. Following Assad’s downfall, Rida observed, “They came back with such beautiful energy you can’t imagine, and you can’t imagine how much we were in need of them.”

Nevertheless, filming has faced challenges.

“Al-Souriyoun al-Aada” director Allaith Hajjo has created programs including “Dayaa Dayaa” (“A Lost Village”), a comedy about small mountain town life, and “Intizar” (“Waiting”), a social drama set in an impoverished Damascus neighborhood. He remained in Syria throughout the conflict.

“In the days of the (Assad) regime’s existence, we were always trying to put forward material that would go over the heads of the censors,” he explained.

During that period, “I dealt with actors who were a red line in the eyes of the regime,” Hajjo stated. “At the same time, now I am dealing with people who may be rejected” by current leadership.

Social media criticism has targeted the production due to certain cast members perceived as Assad supporters. Hajjo maintains that political considerations shouldn’t influence casting decisions.

He noted that current authorities lack experience with artistic projects and the work has encountered “some problems” with review boards.

“It’s their right to need some time to gain experience, but I hope this time won’t affect the quality and the level” of productions, he said.

The National Drama Committee, the governmental organization that examines scripts, did not provide responses to inquiries.

The series, initially scheduled for Ramadan broadcast, has experienced production delays and will likely air following the holy month.

Director Rasha Sharbatji, who created the Ramadan series “Matbatkh al Medina” (“The City’s Kitchen”), described the new authorities as cooperative.

She mentioned meeting interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa “and he is personally interested in drama and appreciates how important it is.”

However, questions remain about whether his administration will allow television dramas to address openly post-Assad issues, including sectarian violence incidents involving government forces.

Salamandra suggested creators will likely “make serials about the old atrocities with subtle references to the recent ones. Because that’s what they’ve always done.”

Jihad Abdo represents one of the returning exiled performers. A leading actor during the 1990s and early 2000s, he left Syria in 2011 after criticizing Assad publicly.

He rebuilt his career in America, where he sought entry-level positions and changed his name from Jihad — a typical name among Muslim and Christian Arabs meaning “striving” — to Jay for Hollywood work, where many connected “jihad” with extremism.

He eventually secured roles in major projects, including appearing with Nicole Kidman in 2015’s “Queen of the Desert.” Despite his success, he yearned to return home.

Back in Damascus, he stars in the web series “Al-Meqaad al-Akheer” (“The Last Seat”), a social drama airing during Ramadan, as someone battling Alzheimer’s. He now heads Syria’s General Organization for Cinema, facing the challenging task of rebuilding the Syrian film industry without funding.

Abdo stated that “the margin of the freedom is bigger” compared to Assad’s era and officials haven’t declared any topics forbidden.

“We’re not sure yet about how this margin of freedom will be shaped,” he said. “We are trying to make it as big as possible, because we need to address the problems in order to solve them.”

Abdo sees the television industry as crucial for Syria’s post-conflict healing by sharing human experiences and demonstrating that people with opposing political beliefs can collaborate.

“The wound is big, it’s bleeding, it is still open,” he said. “But it’s our responsibility, the people in entertainment, the intellectuals, prominent names, to bring everybody together again and to keep talking, no matter how different we are.”