From Award-winning filmmaker David Henry Gerson a documentary short, THE STORY WON’T DIE. It’s an inspiring, timely look at a young generation of Syrian artists who use their work to protest and process what is currently the world’s largest and longest ongoing displacement of people since World War II. THE STORY WON’T DIE was produced by Sundance Award-winning producer Odessa Rae (Navalny). and geature a wide variety of Syrian born artist that includes; Rapper Abu Hajar, post-Rock musician (Anas Maghrebi), members of the first all-female Syrian rock band (Bahila Hijazi and Lynn Mayya), break-dancer (Bboy Shadow), choreographer (Medhat Aldaabal), and visual artists (Tammam Azzam, Omar Imam and Diala Brisly). All of these talented artists use their art to rise in revolution and endure in exile in this new documentary reflecting on a battle for peace, justice and freedom of expression. It is an uplifting and humanizing look at what it means to be a refugee in today’s world and offers inspiring and hopeful vantages on a creative response to the chaos of war. Director David Henry Gerson stops by to talk about his exploration of artists / activists forced to flee one of the world’s most repressive regimes, away from family and loved ones, but still committed to their art, community and hope for a time when they can return to their beloved country.
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For updates and screenings go to: thestorywontdie.com
To watch: thestorywontdie.com/screenings
THE STORY WON’T DIE will be released theatrically in Los Angeles on Friday, June 10 (Laemmle Cinemas) and in New York (Cinema Village) on Friday, June 17.
A worldwide VOD release on major platforms will follow on June 21 (Timed to coincide with (World Refugee Day)
About the filmmaker – David Henry Gerson is a filmmaker whose work has won prizes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Sundance Film Festival, and has been acquired into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in NY. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the American Film Institute, where he was the recipient of the AFI Richard P. Rodgers Award for Creative Excellence. His film, ALL THESE VOICES, won the Student Academy Award®. David’s spec screenplay, ABOVE KINGS, was nominated to the Tracking Board Hit List and was a semifinalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship. His documentary film ULTRA VIOLET FOR SIXTEEN MINUTES (“Totally engaging” – Al Maysles), screened at festivals worldwide, the Pompidou Museum in Paris, and was acquired into the permanent collection of the MoMA. THE STORY WON’T DIE is his debut feature. For more go to: davidhenrygerson.com
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100% on RottenTomatoes
“The outrage in these artists will always remain, but The Story Won’t Die shows how they come to find some wisdom about it, too.” – Alan Zilberman, Washington City Paper
“Gerson’s film successfully keeps the big picture and the smaller canvas in conscientious balance, disrupting overwhelming tragedy with more hopeful flashes of invention and inspiration.” – Guy Lodge, Variety
“Personal and important, The Story Won’t Die is not only a needed piece of cinema but is also a quite rewarding one.” – Carson Timar, Clapper
“It’s very moving to hear them and realize how consistent these experiences are, and to realize how resilient these people are.” – Wade Major, FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)