Birds of War
What’s it rated? R
When? 2026
Where’s it showing? Friday, April 24, 4 p.m., and Saturday, April 25,
6:30 p.m. at Downtown Centre Cinemas; and
Monday, April 27, 4:30 p.m. at the Palm Theatre
in SLO. Tickets at slofilmfest.org.
Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak co-direct this script they co-wrote with story consultant Katie Bryer about their 13-year love story. She was a London-based BBC journalist from Lebanon, and he was a Syrian activist-turned-cameraman; the two connected during the Syrian civil war. The story is told through their exchange of increasingly intimate text messages, voice notes, and footage from Aleppo.
It’s inherently deeply moving because war is, indeed, hell, and through Habak’s camera, we get an up close and personal view of the damage inflicted on Syria and its people. Much of it is heartbreaking. In one scene, we’re in an underground neonatal hospital as bombs shake the walls. It’s a reminder that life goes on even as people die and their homes are lost. What a horror. War is such a waste. When Habak is attempting to flee Aleppo as the army pushes forward, he says, “My archive must survive as proof of what I gave and what was taken from me.”
It also depicts human resilience. Witnessing Boulos and Habak’s professional collaboration grow into a bond of love is beautiful, despite the backdrop of war and political upheaval. This one will both break and warm your heart. (in English and Arabic; 85 min.)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in April 23 – April 30, 2026.