24.04.2026 • 12 Min.

In a world shaped by militarized conflict and displacement, Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak manage to find the love that overcomes violence and repression - on a personal and a cinematic level. Both come together in their intimate chronicle of a romance against all odds. Birds of War tells their very own love story during the Syrian Civil War and the Lebanese war, witnessing the devastation and brutal impact on people's lives but also moments of unexpected beauty. After premiering at Sundance where it won the prestigious Special Jury Award for its journalistic impact, the moving documentary is now at Visions du Réel. On site in Nyon, the filmmakers spoke with Lidanoir about bringing their own lives to the screen, the importance of not reducing people to headlines, and the future they see for themselves.