Oscars: Syria Picks ‘The Other Side of the Sun’ as Best Int’l Feature Submission, Icarus Takes Doc for U.S.

Syria has submitted Tawfik Sabouni's hybrid documentary, The Other Side of the Sun, as its candidate for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards. This marks the first submission from Syria since the ousting of dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the formation of a transitional government. The film examines the experience of imprisonment within Saydnaya Prison, a significant detention site linked to the country's recent history and collective memory.