Born in Damascus Wins a Crystal Bear at Berlinale

Laura Wadha’s tale of two cousins separated by war, has won a Berlinale Crystal Bear award.

The short documentary film, made as part of the 2020 Bridging the Gap initiative, wowed the judges in the Generation 14Plus competition.

In the summary, the judges said they; “gained access to a new reality that we had never encountered before in everyday lives. In an impenetrable style, the film examines the influence that repressed memories have on our identity. Long after the end of the film, each of us had something to think about”.

The film was produced by Charlotte Hailstone of Hailstone Films, who was in Berlin to collect the award on behalf of the team.

Born in Damascus is Laura’s personal story of her childhood memories of Syria and the family she visited there. In the documentary she reconnects with her cousin, who fled Syria 10 years ago and now lives in Canada.

Born in Damascus

Find out more about the Bridging the Gap initiative by clicking here.

Currently in its 19th year, Bridging the Gap will reopen for applications in September 2022.

We are currently accepting applications for the renowned Edinburgh Pitch 2022, the only international pitching forum of its kind in Scotland.