The love story of London-based Lebanese journalist and Syrian-based activist/cameraman over thirteen years of revolutions, war and exile.

COMING SOON

STORY 

BIRDS OF WAR follows London-based Lebanese journalist, Janay, and Syrian activist Habak over 13 years, using personal archives to tell a love story across war, revolutions and exile.

Young BBC reporter Janay Boulos first contacts Syrian cameraman Abd Alkader Habak (“Habak”) for footage during the final months of the four-year battle for Aleppo in 2016, one of the bloodiest and most decisive turning points in Syria’s brutal civil war.

Their professional relationship deepens as Janay discovers more about the extraordinary young man documenting the violence for her reports. Through texts, video exchanges, voice messages, and shared moments from afar, the bond between them strengthens, while at the same time Habak’s world becomes increasingly perilous amid chemical attacks and continuous bombardment.

When an act of compassion puts Habak in danger and he is forced to flee Syria, he and Janay’s relationship enters a new phase: for the first time, they meet in person, in Turkey. Distance, war, cultural differences and familial judgements temporarily fade as the two wrap themselves in a cocoon of safety, away from the terror back home.

Still, they are never far from the question that would soon enough come to haunt them: Would it be possible for two people from such disparate worlds to build a life together?

FILMMAKER

Janay Boulos is a Lebanese journalist and filmmaker with extensive experience documenting the Middle East. From 2012-2021, she worked for BBC News across television, radio and digital platforms. In 2021, she founded Habak Films with Syrian filmmaker Abd Alkader Habak. Janay has produced documentaries for BBC News and Al Jazeera Arabic, bringing Middle Eastern stories to global audiences. Her professional development includes IDFA Project Space, Documentary Campus Masterschool, and Sheffield DocFest's Future Producer School. In 2023, she received the IDA Logan Elevate grant.

Abd Alkader Habak ("Habak") brings first-hand experience as a Syrian cinematographer who documented the Syrian conflict over six years (2011- 2017). Working in dangerous environments, he collaborated with BBC and CNN as cameraman and field producer. His work during the siege of Aleppo—before fleeing in 2017—resulted in extraordinary archive footage documenting the Syrian revolution and war. Now London-based, Habak continues documentary. His recent short "Syria's Last Chapter" was commissioned by Al Jazeera Witness (December 2024). He is also in production with a feature documentary called “Until the Buzzing Stops”

REVIEWS

“Like a flower that somehow emerges through concrete, love can blossom even in a space of unfathomable violence.” - Deadline

“Charming…Birds of War is a touching love story that finds hope and heart in the bonds that bring people together, even during conflicts designed to keep them apart” - POV Magazine

“A compelling film… a message of hope… a beacon of light emerging from within the chaos.” - Playlist

“An Engaging Portrait of Journalism Turned Love in Wartime” - Awards Buzz

“... The first great film I saw in 2026, BIRDS OF WAR is a must see..” - Unseen Films

“An echoing reminder that love and the resilience of the human spirit knows no barriers” - Next Best Picture

“…Birds of War successfully immortalizes a beautiful, almost unbelievable love story that blooms in the wake of violence.” - Loud & Clear

“A deeply absorbing and moving account of two lovers whose lives are defined by their commitment to shedding light on the truth.” - High on Films

“There is no better reminder of the simple power of love and hope than Birds of War.” - Geek Vibes Nation

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