Dimasheq
The “Damascus Cinema Salon” brought together lovers of the seventh art, filmmakers, and admirers of the late director Hatem Ali in an evening held at “Zawaya Gallery” in Damascus on Saturday evening, where his feature film “Long Night” was screened in tribute to his soul and in remembrance of his artistic legacy.
The film, written by director Haitham Hakki and produced in 2009, tells the story of three friends who regain their freedom after spending nearly two decades in prison, only to find themselves facing a very different reality shaped by the passing years—changes in family relationships, the death of friends, and the fading of dreams—while their fourth friend remains behind bars, deprived of freedom.
Writer and director Haitham Hakki confirmed during the evening that the film addresses the story of a group of political prisoners on a pivotal night, in which one of the characters embodies a state of lost hope, while the work presents multiple human models, each with its own perspective on fear, freedom, and fate.
He added that the film documents the harshness of the human experience inside prison, but concludes with a message emphasizing the importance of holding on to hope despite difficult circumstances, based on the belief that art and cinema remain the most capable of expressing such profound human experiences.
