A crowded apartment. Dwindling food and water. War raging outside. A sniper looms. This movie has great tension and claustrophobia. It avoids any political comment and it is better for it because it concentrates on an anonymous family who you can believe to be like any family in the world faced with terrible choices to make. Then suppose this is happening right now, somewhere, almost certainly in Syria, and it inevitably has more power. It focuses on family, filial affection, friendship and survival instincts.

The home front...when home is in the middle of the sht. Excellent character study of life 'endured'.

28th STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. DAY 4, NOV 11th 2017. Swedish premiere.In an apartment in Damascus, in war-torn Syria, a matriarch is struggling, despite all odds, to keep her family and a neighbouring woman safe.A Belgian-French-Lebanese co-production, "Insyriated" (2017), written and directed by Belgian cinematographer-turned-writer-director Philippe Van Leeuw, was shot in an apartment building in Beirut, Lebanon. With strong acting performances and well-balanced direction, this gripping drama is a feat of shattering realism.

My link http://wp.me/p2R05n-1bA to my blog review of Insyriated is here. It has a very well crafted dramatic take on war without indulging in political dirge. There are claustrophobic and surreal elements to it a bit like Under the Shadow. Holding up as a film made in Lebanon with the principals professionals the remainder of the cast are Syrian refugees. The plot is only over one day. Using a hand held camera it almost recruits you as another pair of eyes reaching into this compelling dark story.