Go ahead. Name a documentary, any documentary, covering any major conflict since the dawn of human history, or one particular facet within said conflict, be it small-scale or otherwise. Hollywood seems to possess no shortage in this regard, whether in its works of fiction so accurately assembled they could very well pass off as fact, or with last year’s “Warfare” immediately entering the chat as a pastiche of sorts. The list remains long, and “Birds of War” deserves its own spot, but in its raw, unflinching capture of a period of time set against the Syrian Civil War, by combining a blossoming relationship between two journalists with some genuine jump scares meant to thrust the viewer into such a horrific environment, what seems at times too real to believe needs to be seen. It’s real. Every second.
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It could be easy to dismiss “Birds of War” from the outset as nothing more than another film about another bout of strife gripping part of our planet, but the first act’s slow burn hides within clips of devastation, as both adults and children alike run from the latest burst of violence on the streets of Aleppo, Syria. Janay Boulos, a London-based journalist reporting for the BBC, originally hailed from Lebanon and, in need of ground coverage from within the war zone, establishes a partnership with Abd Alkader Habak, a photojournalist unable to work with Boulos in an official capacity due to the country’s international ban.
Initially, the relationship toes a professional line as seen through text message exchanges throughout the film. The gradual transition to far more personal, intimate dialogue soon becomes apparent, at which point the realization becomes clear that something substantial may be unfolding far beyond that of two fellow journalists. Each message immediately serves to disarm an audience expecting a continuous, conventional wartime narrative, but when coupled with the periodic ear-piercing blast is the juxtaposition rendered all the more jarring. The most unexpected moments arrive with a literal bang, such as scenes taken from within an understaffed, overcrowded hospital suddenly interrupted by an explosion as jolting as it feels appropriate for the filmmakers to include. It’s not the first time, nor would it be the last.
Yes, Boulos and Habak are the story at the center, with their inevitable in-person meeting as tender as one may have expected, and if you have a wish about where their relationship might be headed, it doubtful you’ll be disappointed. Just as quickly, unfortunately, do the needs of their work and the pull of family separate the two once more, though leaving on anything less than a note of optimism sits as hard to ignore. In the midst of our planet’s ongoing chaos, to see a beacon of light emerge from within doesn’t just make for a compelling film. It’s a message of hope, a story found alongside countless others scattered throughout the rubble of war. [A-]
