fighters for Two years lived the film’s Director Talal Derki undercover in Al-Qaeda in Syria. His documentation of a study of intergenerational violence.
Interview of Kathrin Heinrich
Why a father sends his thirteen-year-old son in the war, instead of in the school? The documentation “Of Fathers and Sons – The children of the Caliphate” shows how violence from one Generation to the next. The Syria-born and Berlin-based Director Talal Derki has accompanied a radical Islamic family in the North of Syria. The father belongs to the jihadist al-Nusra Front, an offshoot of al-Qaeda. “Of Fathers and Sons – The children of the Caliphate” was nominated for the Oscar in the category “Best documentary film” (won, however, the Film “Free Solo”). In an interview Derki explains how he has found the protagonists for the German-Syrian-Lebanese production, and why the message of the film extends far beyond the Syrian civil war.
SZ: Mr. Derki, as you have the Syria to your Childhood?
Talal Derki:, It was peaceful and the people loved each other. Even if life was due to the political and economic Situation, earlier difficult, it was in spite of everything a home. A place where you felt safe.
your documentation shows that nothing is left.
In the Film you don’t see the area I come from – I’m from Damascus. But the whole country is my home. Through all the violence, all the disasters, we lose our history and the essence of the country – I don’t think this is coming back soon.
In “Of Fathers and Sons – The children of the Caliphate” portray you to Abu Osama, a member of the radical Islamic al-Nusra Front, and his young sons. How have you found the family?
Due to my previous work. As of 2011 I have turned in Syria as recently as the movie “Homs – a destroyed dream” and then as a camera man for the news agencies worked. I’ve trained a lot of camera men. One of them has made the children in a religious camp. Another friend from the Film is now a leader in al Qaeda, he knew the father and mediated, so that I could be with him and his children in films.
al-Nusra was with the documentation agree?
of course, I was undercover there. I told them that I would have recognized that my life was wrong, and that I felt better, because her Faith was the right thing to do. I told them that I wanted to support you, and with my Film, the jihadists-would glorify the movement.
you were all alone?
Yes, just me and a camera man.
the camera man did not Know that they share the radical Islamic Faith?
no, I didn’t want him to get scared. He is religious, but I do not want to talk about him, to make him no problems.
How long have you lived in the family home?
We shot over a period of two and a half years, I was about 300 days.
The Syrian Director Talal Derki comes from Damascus today, he lives in Berlin.
(photo: AFP)
Why do you have exposed yourself as long as the danger to be discovered?
I had to understand this phenomenon. What happened with Syria. As a Syrian city, the capital of the IS. All these people are suddenly religious, and their children in the struggle – all this brainwashing.
And you understand now, how the violence from one Generation to the next?
I know now that you can avoid – no matter what country. If we protect the children and give them a peaceful Childhood, they are not fighters as adults.
you have accompanied the family, but only the father and the sons – where are the women in your Film?
The women are the biggest victims of this society. They are there, but they live in separate groups and are not allowed to talk to Strangers. Not even with boys. Not even with your sons, you your fundamentalist Faith forbids. The mother of the family was always behind a wall, she cooked and cleaned, but I’ve never seen your face. I just wanted to do an Audio Interview with her, but the husband said: “no way, this is against our Tradition.”
your Film shows to comment on this family with no or criticize.
It’s not about my opinion. I was there as observers – to understand the Mission, and to show the people out there, how the local life looks like. I wanted to go to the Motivation, the brain-washing that goes on behind closed doors. The great Paradox of the relationship between the father and his children is that He loves you – you see in the movie – and at the same time he is sacrificing you for his ideology, by sending you very young in the fight.
Abu Osama, surrounded by his sons.
(photo: Reuters)
it Is important that the Film takes place in Syria?
no, it was not clear from the beginning that it’s not about Syria, or the civil war. It’s about the philosophy and the legacy of the violence. To protect the children and to understand the extremists. This could happen anywhere. There are people everywhere who believe in violence and hatred, the fight and want to argue. Therefore, I show in my Film there is no direct violence, but the deep psychological Trauma that is through the talks.
At the beginning of the movie to tell you that your father stopped you as a child, your nightmares don’t write them down so that they would come back. Have you recorded with “Of Fathers and Sons,” a nightmare?
Yes, that is my biggest nightmare: the hatred and the rise of the extremists.
Can you ever returning to Syria?
no, that would be suicide. For me, it will forever remain in exile. I’m used to the word exile. My philosophy is that home is wherever you feel at peace. For me, this home is Berlin. A place that accepts different cultures and put them together, so that the New can arise – that’s the power of Berlin.
“Of Fathers and Sons – The children of the Caliphate” starts at 21. March in the German cinemas.
