"A case not just for art’s survival, but for art as a means of survival." - NY Times
I met David Henry Gerson in Oslo earlier this year, we were both attending the Oslo Freedom Forum, a gathering for dissidents from around the world (I was live drawing it). Gerson’s new documentary, The Story Won’t Die, was screened at OFF, and while I did not get a chance to see it then, I went to a screening he held in Manhattan more recently. It’s a powerful film about artists in Syria, about the creative process and individuals’ response to conflict.
The documentary was fascinating to me, in part because I am friends with cartoon artists living in countries with limited freedom of expression and violence. How does one truthfully create when the world is exploding around you? What are the effects of violence and anger on the creative process? Does the artist use the turbulence to feed one’s work, ignore it, fight it, or leave? And if leaving is the only answer, how does one resume and find one’s voice as a refugee?
The film follows 9 artists of different disciplines, both performance and visual, and tells their stories of creativing in wartime. The narrative of the film shows us the creators before, during and when they all chose to leave Syria. It is a narrative about human resiliance, creativity, storytelling, and the importance of art in our tumultuous world.
I asked Gerson about the title of his film, The Story Won’t Die, and this was his response:
“The title is a lyric from Abu Hajar's rap song - you hear him say it in his intro when he is rapping in his apartment, sitting in the light by his window in Berlin. When we were searching for the title, it jumped out to us as the obvious choice. In the face of dictators trying to control narratives, the title, for me, suggests that the artist, the storyteller, has the ultimate power to make sure their story does not die.”
Please watch my interview with Gerson, and definitely watch the documentary. In the video interview above, he explains how you can find the film to watch it, and also you can go to the website for more information and links to see it.
The trailer is at the beginning of the interview, but is also on YouTube.
Below are all the artists in the film, and their social links.
Mhd Sabboura (aka BBoy TheShadow)
Here are some reviews for the film:
A link to the website.
The movie’s Twitter and Instagram.
Interview With Filmmaker David Henry Gerson