Return to Homs

Review: Return to Homs

Rating: 5 out of 5

Release Year: 2013

Length: 90 minutes

Main Cast: Basset (lead), Osama (cameraman)

Director:Pro Action Films and Ventaya Films, Talal Derki

Synopsis: Life can completely do a u-turn on you and this film is the epidome of it. Living his dream, Basset, only 19 years old is a successful goal-keeper for the Syrian national soccer team. He's dream is taken when the revolution breaks out he becomes a protest leader and singer. He's sense of humor and positibvity is seen throughout the film regardless of the horror that's happening. On the other hand, we ndon't see Osama but he is an important asset to this film because he is the one documenting everything. Osama is a 24 year old media activist who does not fight at all but focuses on getting important details of what is going on. This to eventually edit it and show it to the rest of the world so they can see the message these men who are fighting are trying to tell. Sadly, their most loved city, Homs, becomes a ghost town and there's not much Basset and his guys can do but fight back in the same way. 

Review: I would like to imagine this was just a hollywoodized documentary and it's not true. Sadly, this happened in real life and it's so sad and frustrating to see how innocent people get affected tragically. Honestlly, this documentary was very hard to watch and I did have to pause it at moments because it got to be too much. It was a great and transparent documentary, that showed what is really going on and not just that it showed a message to nationwide viewers. 

I thought it was just terrible towards the end of the documentary when Basset was shot in the leg. Before that I thought hopefully this ends and he can go back to the profession of his dreams, being a soccer player. Being shot in the leg just narrowed his chances of continuing nationally. But this just goes to prove how sad the real world can come to be. Furthermore, another event that touched my heart was when Basset was in the middle of a battle and he was sitting and almost falling asleep because he was so exhausted. Then he got a call and had to break the news that one of the guys wasn't going to get married because he had died. Actually most of his friends died, only a few survived. I can't even imagine being in that situation. But I am glad this documentary was published so everyone can see the perspective of atleast one person who was experiencing the war first hand. 

On Rotten Tomatoes there was a average rating of 7.4/10 with 14 reviews. Thirteen out of fourtenn where positive reviews. All comments were talking about the truthful content that was seen. Nothing was exagerrated, everything was as authentic as is. One comment that really stood out to me was Amber Wilkinson's. She wrote in her blog that "the film has been impressively edited by Anne Fabini, so that despite the inevitable rough and ready nature of some of the footage captured under fire, the end result feels taut and cohesive". This quote basically sums up the quality of this documentary.