Birds of War

Birds of War

The love story of London-based Lebanese journalist and Syrian activist/cameraman as told through thirteen years of personal archives across revolutions, war and exile.

ENQUIRIES

PR: Kathleen McInnis
k.mcinnis@see-throughfilms.com

Synopsis

From besieged Aleppo to the confines of a London newsroom, Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos and Syrian activist/cameraman Abd Alkader Habak retrace their love story, using their vast personal archives stretching over 13 years of revolutions, war and exile. Can their love survive distance, danger and differences?  

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Janay Boulos (Director/Producer) is a Lebanese journalist and filmmaker with extensive experience documenting the Middle East. From 2012-2021, she worked for BBC News across television, radio and digital platforms. In 2021, she founded Habak Films with Syrian filmmaker Abd Alkader Habak. Janay has produced documentaries for BBC News and Al Jazeera Arabic, bringing Middle Eastern stories to global audiences. Her professional development includes IDFA Project Space, Documentary Campus Masterschool, and Sheffield DocFest’s Future Producer School. In 2023, she received the IDA Logan Elevate grant. 

Abd Alkader Habak (Director/Producer) brings first-hand experience as a Syrian cinematographer who documented the Syrian conflict over six years (2011-2017). Working in dangerous environments, he collaborated with BBC and CNN as cameraman and field producer. His work during the siege of Aleppo—before fleeing in 2017—resulted in extraordinary archive footage documenting the Syrian revolution and war. Now London-based, Habak continues in documentary. His recent shorts  “Syria’s Last Chapter” (2024) and “Syria’s Prison of Secrets” (2025) were commissioned by Al Jazeera Witness. He is also in production with a feature documentary called “Until the Buzzing Stops.”

DIRECTORS

Janay Boulos & Abd Alkader Habak

PRODUCERS

Sonja Henrici, Janay Boulos, Abd Alkader Habak

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Claire Ferguson

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Abd Alkader Habak, Janay Boulos 

EDITOR

Will Hewitt

LINE PRODUCER

Nadja Lapcevic

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Sam Payne

FINANCING

Screen Scotland

IDA Logan

IDA Enterprise Fund

Inmaat

Connected Fund