The film follows the tale of a translator, Sami, who is living in exile in Australia. Haunted by feelings of guilt for having abandoned his family, Sami recognises his responsibility to his country and family and returns to Syria to help free his activist brother, who has been arrested by the government at the outset of the revolution in 2011.
“The Translator is a way to hold myself accountable and to be self-critical for not participating in the revolution,” said Kazkaz, who was living in Damascus when people took to the streets in cities across Syria. She recalls the fear that prevailed at the start of the revolution and forced her “to stay at home, too afraid to let the kids go to school and to suddenly recognise a level of suspicion that was pervading our society at that time.”
Coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the Arab Spring, Kazkaz says what is more tragic than the Syrian government’s response to the calls for democracy is the “horrible breakdown of society - people no longer feel safe enough to be human.”
She hopes the film’s release at this critical time will highlight the toll on human relationships and morality that accompany the tragedies that continue to take place.
“Prof Kazkaz’s film goes beyond masterfully documenting the events of the revolution to capture themes and feelings of confusion, fear, and hope that is central to examining the effect of revolutions and wars,” said Marwan M Kraidy, dean and CEO of NU-Q.
Kazkaz is an award-winning filmmaker and an assistant professor in residence at NU-Q. This semester, she is the Roberta Buffett Visiting Professor of International Studies in the Programme of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the home campus in Evanston. She is teaching two courses in the Programme of Middle Eastern and North African Studies, cross-listed with the School of Communication.
