Movies about Syria for the Classroom:
Great for part of a class, after school, or for extra credit. Scroll down for more.
Great for part of a class, after school, or for extra credit. Scroll down for more.
The Journey is a six-part documentary series that follows refugee Aboud Shalhoub on his trek from war-torn Syria to the Europe, where he hopes to gain refuge for his family. Directed by Matthew Cassel and produced by Field of Vision, its short segments are very teacher-friendly and easy to access online. Great to play in class or to assign for extra-credit.
Exodus is an incredible production by PBS Frontline that uses refugees' cell phones to convey first-person stories of migrants fleeing war, persecution and hardship en route to Europe. While it is over two hours long, scroll to the bottom of their website to find classroom-friendly segments that are riveting to watch, both for your students and for your own understanding of what life is like for modern refugees.
Salam Neighbor is an award-winning documentary that features two young American filmmakers who voluntary live in the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. Its goal is to tell the stories of our refugee neighbors with the dignity they deserve and the depth the world needs, inspiring its audience to get involved. Available on Netflix, it covers what it means to be a refugee in a thoughtful and compelling manner. 1 hour 15 minutes.
The White Helmets: After five years of war, over 400,000 Syrians have been killed and millions have fled their homes. In areas out of regime control, those who remain rely on a group of volunteers dedicated to saving anyone in need. Called "The White Helmets", they search for survivors among the wreckage as bombs continue to fall. Nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, their story will inspire your students to take action. 40 minutes total
"Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War is a Ken Burns documentary that tells the story of Waitstill & Martha Sharp, a Unitarian minister and his wife from Wellesley, Massachusetts, who left their children behind in the care of their congregation to save hundreds of imperiled political dissidents and Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi occupation across Europe.
In his September 17, 2016 New York Times article "Would you hide a Jew", commentator Nick Kristof commented that the movie "is a reminder that in the last great refugee crisis, in the 1930s and ’40s, the United States denied visas to most Jews. We feared the economic burden and worried that their ranks might include spies."
While the film is not yet on demand, you can see its trailer here; or, purchase it by going to the PBS website.
In his September 17, 2016 New York Times article "Would you hide a Jew", commentator Nick Kristof commented that the movie "is a reminder that in the last great refugee crisis, in the 1930s and ’40s, the United States denied visas to most Jews. We feared the economic burden and worried that their ranks might include spies."
While the film is not yet on demand, you can see its trailer here; or, purchase it by going to the PBS website.