Damascus Roof and Tales of Paradise

This documentary portrays the Old City of Damascus, the capital of Syria – the world’s longest continuously inhabited city. The film was screened at Arab Film Days in 2011

Drawing on a handful of old grand houses and the families who live there, stories from the past are told. At the same time, the houses and the stories they carry are threatened by the rapid changes brought about by Syria's modernization. The tales of Damascus as it once was are gradually fading away.

The film is a tribute to Damascus and its people. Through the various stories, elements of the rich storytelling tradition in Arab countries are also highlighted.

Archive 2011

Director

Soudade Kaadan (b. 1979) is a Syrian filmmaker, born in France. She studied theater criticism in Damascus and later filmmaking in Beirut, Lebanon. She has directed and produced documentaries for organizations such as Al Jazeera and UNICEF. Her debut film, The Day I Lost My Shadow (2018), was screened at Arab Film Days in 2019, while her second feature film, Nezouh, was shown at Arab Film Days in 2023

This film is part of