Birds of War
| Birds of War | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Janay Boulos Abd Alkader Habak |
| Written by | Janay Boulos Abd Alkader Habak |
| Produced by | Sonja Henrici Janay Boulos Abd Alkader Habak |
| Cinematography | Janay Boulos Abd Alkader Habak |
| Edited by | Claire Ferguson Will Hewitt Tanya Singh |
| Music by | Harpal Mudhar Darren Sng |
Production companies | Habak Films Sonja Henrici Creates |
| Distributed by | Dogwoof |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Countries | United Kingdom Syrian Arab Republic Lebanon |
| Languages | Arabic English |
Birds of War is a 2026 documentary film directed and written by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, and produced by Sonja Henrici, Boulos, and Habak.[1] It premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact.[2][3]
Premise
The film follows the love story of Boulos, a London-based Lebanese journalist and Habak, a Syrian activist and cameraman, who met in 2016, when she was a BBC journalist seeking footage and he was a freelance cameraman in Aleppo during the Syrian civil war.[4] The film is composed of 13 years of their personal archives spanning revolutions, war, and exile.[2][1][5]
Release
Birds of War premiered at the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[2][3] In December 2025, Dogwoof acquired the sales rights for Birds of War.[6]
In March 2026, it had its European premiere in the International Competition at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival.[7]
The documentary was the closing film for the Berlin Human Rights Film Festival, participated in the Wide Angle competition at Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland, and had its Canadian premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in the World Showcase category. It also screened in San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, Fort Myers Film Festival, DOCLANDS Documentary Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival in the USA.
Awards
Birds of War won the Special Jury Award for Journalistic Impact at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival where it has its World premiere.[8]
Following its European premiere at the 2026 Thessaloniki International Documentary Film Festival, Birds of War won four awards: the Silver Alexander in the International Competition, the FIPRESCI Award for Best Feature Documentary, the Human Rights in Motion Award by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Women in Film and TV (WIFT GR) Award for a Female Contribution Behind or in Front of the Camera.[9][7]
The Audience Award at 57th edition of Visions du Réel also went to Birds of War by Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak which was part of the Wide Angle competition.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Birds of War". 2026 Sundance Film Festival (Eventive). Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- 1 2 3 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program". Sundance Institute. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- 1 2 "Sundance Film Festival Announces 2026 Feature Slate, Including Competition Titles". Filmmaker Magazine. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- ↑ "Documentary Romance: 'Birds Of War' Director Janay Boulos On Love Story That Unfolds Against Backdrop Of Bloody Conflict – CPH:DOX". Deadline. March 19, 2026. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Eye For Film: Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak on bringing their relationship to screen in Birds Of War". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
- ↑ Barraclough, Leo (December 16, 2025). "'Birds of War' Boarded by Dogwoof Ahead of World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved December 29, 2025.
- 1 2 Carey, Matthew (March 19, 2026). "Syria Lebanon-Themed 'Birds Of War' Tells Unlikely Love Story". Deadline. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 30, 2026). "Sundance Film Festival Awards Winners: 'Josephine' Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award". Deadline. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ↑ Carey, Matthew (March 15, 2026). "'Closure' Wins Top Award At Thessaloniki Int'l Documentary Festival". Deadline. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
- ↑ Pedersen, Lise (April 24, 2026). "'From Dawn to Dawn,' 'Alea Jacarandas' Top 57th Edition of Visions du Réel". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
External links
- Birds of War at IMDb