The documentary «War Birds» explores the relationship that began professionally between Syrian photographer and activist Abdulqader Habak and Lebanese journalist Janine Pauls, who worked for BBC in London. Their story started when the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011.
Centered on the love story between a journalist covering the war in Syria and a Syrian activist who was her primary local source, the film was well-received at the Sundance Film Festival and won one of its awards. This documentary, which won the Jury Award for Impact Journalism, critiques how modern media covers wars.
Like many activists, Habak was a crucial source for the British station. Foreign media, much like others, faced significant difficulties covering the war in Syria as they could not send their journalists there. Janine Pauls said: «The most important thing is for the journalist to understand who the person they are working with is». She emphasized that he is «not a source of information, but a subject».
Amid the conflict, they managed to produce reports, including one about Syrians who built gardens on rooftops in war-torn areas. This shift in focus from covering military developments to the human side coincided with the beginning of a personal relationship between them, as they exchanged videos of their pets and began calling each other «Little Bird».
An image of Abdulqader Habak rescuing a child from burning vehicles of a civilian convoy that came under attack while fleeing a besieged city then went viral worldwide. After their marriage, they settled in London to continue covering the Syrian war while ensuring Habak's safety, who had been following it since its outbreak when he was 18.
Janine Pauls no longer works for BBC, dedicating her time to making independent documentaries with her husband. She stated: «Any person can be the subject of a news report, but at the same time, every person is a human. He is defending a cause».
Through video footage filmed over 13 years and text messages between Pauls and Habak, the film retraces the Lebanese journalist's growing disillusionment with BBC's coverage of the war. The fast-paced nature of media coverage causes the conflict in Syria, like other tragedies, to be quickly forgotten. «He is not a person who helps me advance professionally, but a human being with feelings», she concluded.
