The War Show

The War Show begins in 2011. Civil war has not yet engulfed Syria, and activists demonstrate peacefully. In one early scene, a boisterous group of protesters sing and chant anti-Assad slogans. Zytoon’s friends, also carrying cameras, are grinning ear to ear as the early optimism of the Arab Spring seems to foretell a peaceful, secular revolution: “Muslims and Christians, freedom for all!” they cry. Zytoon describes her young friends as they hang out and discuss plans. Houssam is an architecture student, Rabea a drummer, Lulu a law student. The men have long hair and dress stylishly. The women do not wear hijabs. The friends mount a protest that ends in confusion. “The plan was to have a flash demonstration, videotape it and go home,” Zytoon says later. But they start the protest before enough participants have arrived, and government thugs break it up.