Return to Homs
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2014 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner - Documentary

June 27 - July 1.

Return to Homs follows nineteen-year-old goalkeeper-turned-insurgent, Abdul Basset, as he and a rag-tag group of comrades fight to protect the captive inhabitants of the besieged city of Homs. As one of the unlikely leaders of the Syrian rebellion Basset has become something of a totemic figure, with Le Monde labeling him an 'icon of the revolution'. His protest songs and dark sense of humor reflect his dream of peaceful liberation from Assad's oppressive regime, but when their hopeful uprising is met with violent resistance by government forces, he and his companions take up arms. Trailing the fearless crew over a two-year period, this remarkable film sees the city Basset once knew and loved, deserted and torn apart beyond recognition. As audacious hope turns to despair, Derki presents the real desperation behind the bloodied faces and waving rifles that have become Syria's refrain.