The Life and Works of Director Marwan BarakatThe Life and Works of Director Marwan Barakat

Syrian artists like Marwan Barakat remind us of the cultural and social wealth that Syrians have to offer to the world, and inspire us to express ourselves and our talents, and to pursue our dreams, leaving a lasting legacy for us and for Syria.

When discussing prominent figures of Syrian drama and TV, it’s impossible not to mention the works of Marwan Barakat, the director of acclaimed shows such as Asr Al Junoon. Abna’a Al Qahr, Sahabat Sayf, Al Sarab, and Sirr. He often directed shows that touched on sensitive subjects and pushed boundaries with both his creative direction and choices of scripts. For instance, his show Abna’a Al Qahr, premiered in 2002 and written by Hani Al Saadi, touched on social issues and taboo topics, one of which was AIDS; this earned the show in 2002 an award in Paris presented by UNICEF for best Arabic series and another one for best series at the Cairo festival.

Another show directed by Marwan Barakat is Sahabat Sayf, written by Iman Saeed. This series touched on the difficult lives that immigrants and refugees from Palestine, Iraq, and the Golan Heights lead in slums and informal housing of Damascus.

Activism, in all of its forms, can be very impactful, and activism by means of TV shows and drama is no exception. Often, we are ruled over by ignorance when it comes to social causes and phenomenons, especially by consciously choosing not to read into or address what our local communities struggle with. In return, Syrian shows are capable of uniting Arab families in front of their televisions to hold them and their consciousness witness of these issues. Marwan Barakat, with his choices of scripts, utilized his opportunity to present topics that are in dire need of attention but do not receive it often; this was particularly the case with the two aforementioned shows.

Marwan Barakat started off as an Engineering student, but later decided to seek and switch to TV directing and answer its calling. His first directorial work was Awdet Ghawar in 1999, which put his name on the map and allowed him to pursue other projects later on.

Throughout most of Barakat’s career, he was accompanied by Syrian actor and friend of his Bassam Koussa, who often starred in the director’s shows. The duo’s most recent show Al Tahaddi, released in 2022, reached top 1 worldwide on Shahid.

Influenced by foreign filmmakers, Barakat’s choices in directing have introduced a rather interesting approach to Syrian drama; that is, the use of metaphors and symbolism in his scenes to portray certain incidents. This combination of impactful scripts and visually interesting cinematography enriches the already remarkable world of Syrian drama.