Doc Screening |The Lions by the River Tigris

About the Documentary:
In Mosul, an Iraqi city devastated during the battle to liberate it from Islamic State, the struggle to heal is not yet over, and hard work is underway to rebuild the city's identity, culture and art.

Three men refuse to leave Mosul in ruins. Bashar, a fisherman, embarks on the impossible challenge of rebuilding his family's home. Fakhri, a passionate collector, saves remnants of the city's past in his own unique way, determined to preserve its history. His good friend Fadel, a musician who was once silenced by ISIS, now inspires a new generation to choose art over extremism.

As Bashar, Fakhri and Fadel try to breathe new life into the city with recognisable humanity, we witness a cultural revival in Mosul – women reclaiming public spaces, theatres reopening, music schools emerging, centuries-old heritage being restored. Can the 8,000-year-old city regain its soul?

Introduction and discussion with Kiki Santing:
Kiki Santing is a lecturer in Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Groningen. She focuses on issues surrounding religion and politics in the contemporary Middle East. Her current research project focuses on the reconstruction of Mosul, examining how this process is taking shape in a sectarian post-conflict context such as Iraq. For her research, she has travelled to northern Iraq several times in recent years to conduct interviews with people involved in the reconstruction.

The discussion will be held in English.