Syrians have expressed an eagerness to see how the plot of a new TV show documenting the ousting of Assad will develop [Getty]
A new Syrian TV drama set to air during the Islamic month of Ramadan depicts the fall of Bashar al-Assad, marking the first instance of entertainment portraying the ousting of the former president, who was forced into exile after being overthrown by rebel groups.
Titled ‘Habaq’, the TV show is written by screenwriter Bilal al-Shehaadat. According to Arabic media reports, the production team is currently working to overcome various obstacles to ensure its release next month.
The series, starring acclaimed actress Karess Bashar, was produced in collaboration with renowned director Bassem Al-Salka and also features Subhy Otry alongside other notable industry figures, including Tayseer Idris, Yazan Khalil, Fadi Sobeih, and Salloum Haddad.
The trailer, which aired on Thursday, includes scenes from the 30-episode show, featuring live TV footage of Syrian rebel groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, seizing key cities and advancing across the country.
“Syria is without Bashar al-Assad,” a voice declares in the trailer.
The series is set in a neighbourhood in Damascus, centring on a love story while also portraying the struggles of those who endured hardship under Assad and the years of war since 2011.
The release of ‘Habaq‘ marks a notable shift in Syrian television, as it was likely the first series produced after Assad’s fall and openly depicts his ousting – something that would have been unthinkable under his rule.
For decades, the Assad regime maintained strict control over Syrian drama and cinema, with images of Hafez or Bashar al-Assad prominently displayed in the background of television series and films as a means of reinforcing state propaganda.
Censorship was widespread, and storylines were carefully curated to align with the regime’s political narratives.
Many Syrian actors, including Jamal Suleiman, Maxim Khalil, Abdelhakim Qutaifan, Yara Sabri and Mai Skaf were forced into exile after refusing to meet with Assad or publicly opposing his rule.
Some faced threats, blacklisting, and even arrest warrants, pushing them to continue their careers abroad while remaining vocal critics of the regime.
According to Variety, filmmakers in Syria hailed the toppling of Assad and signalled it could mark a new era of cinema in the country, without persecution or censorship.
“Decades of terror, fear, struggle, bloodshed and destruction are finally over,” LA based Syrian director and producer Sam Kadi told Variety.
“We need way more films, and more stories that need to be told,” he added, noting that content creation is in his opinion, one of the fastest wats of rebuilding Syria, “whether it’s films, TV series, theatre and even music”.
Others have vocalised similar sentiments. Syrian filmmaker Ossama Mohammed said last month inn Syria, an individual was never the movie’s sole screenwriter, as “Assad is the co-writer”.
A warm reception online
Online, the trailer has garnered wide reaction, with many expressing their keenness to see what the show would entail and how it would present the events which resulted in the fall of Assad regime rule.
“It is clear that in the coming period, all Syria drama series will be based on this content…Syria without Bashar al-Assad,” one person wrote on social media platform X.
The release of the trailer on Instagram has also been met with thousands of positive comments from fans and Syrians who have expressed excitement over the depiction.
“Oh God, I’m getting goosebumps from this series already,” one person said.
“This promo has made us excited for the series. The events in it seem exciting, the performances look amazing, and it is clear it will be one of the most powerful pieces of work this season and we are eager to see how the story will develop,” another wrote.
Others said they were nervous to see the show and hoped that it accurately represented the events that occurred.
“It is clear the Habaq series team keep changing the scenario and included the President leaving the country. God willing, the changes have not been made randomly and are in line with what happened” one person said on X.
