Walking through history: A look at Taht sama'a Dimashq

Is it worth your time?

If you're the type who likes to dig through old archives or hunt down obscure silent-era oddities, you might find something to love here. But if you need a clear, fast-moving story with modern pacing, you will probably be bored to tears within the first ten minutes. It is a slow, quiet experience that demands patience.

Watching Ismail Anzour work in this is like looking at a ghost. There is a texture to the film that just doesn't exist in movies anymore—a certain grit and lack of polish that makes it feel honest. It doesn't try to impress you.

The streets of Damascus feel like a character of their own. Sometimes the camera just sits there, watching people move, and you can almost imagine the smell of the air or the heat coming off the stones. It’s oddly grounding, even if the narrative thread gets a little frayed in the middle.

I found myself thinking about Den hvide rytterske while watching, just because there is a similar feeling of trying to pin down a fleeting moment in time. Both films feel like they are slipping through your fingers while you watch them.

The small details

• The way the light hits the architecture—it’s not perfectly lit, it’s just there.
• The extras in the background who clearly didn't get the memo that a movie was being filmed.
• Some of the transitions are so abrupt they’ll make you blink, like someone just cut a roll of film with dull scissors.

It’s not a movie you watch for the plot twists. Honestly, I couldn't even tell you the beats of the story if you paid me. I just remember the feeling of the place. It's a bit messy, and maybe that's why it stuck with me more than a polished studio production would have.

It lacks the manic energy of something like Soup to Nuts, which is fine, because it isn't trying to be funny or loud. It’s just trying to exist. 🎞️

There is a scene near the end—or what I think was the end—where the focus shifts so much it almost goes blurrier than the background. You can feel the struggle of the camera equipment. It’s imperfect, and I kind of love that about it.

Don't look for a grand message. Just look at the shadows. Sometimes that's enough.