DAMASCUS: A Syrian war drama figures this month on the Ramadhan menu of a Saudi-owned television channel.
Syrian dramas have long been popular across the region, though many broadcasters have shied away from Syrian-produced shows.
Syrian actors, however, have still found their way on to screens through pan-Arab productions and historical dramas produced by Gulf networks, such as the popular Bab al Hara series. But shows made exclusively by Syrians were largely shunned.
The Saudi-owned MBC channel has started airing a Syrian-made series, "Suspended", during Ramadhan — a period that this year started April 2 and during which viewership peaks across the Middle East.
The Arabic-language show shot outside Damascus is "the first social drama made entirely by Syrians to air on a Saudi-owned TV channel since 2011", said Director Seif Elsbei.
For its part, MBC said that it "has never had any problem with productions or actors from Syria". "MBC is keen on hosting Syrian dramas... on its screens and platforms'', not just during Ramadhan but throughout the rest of the year, Ali Jaber, the network's director, said in an emailed statement.
"Drama has beat politics in the race to renew relations'', said Badih Sanij, a Syrian journalist and researcher.
The Syrian war drama was filmed in the Wadi Barada suburb of Damascus, a former battleground.
Crammed with clips of destruction and despair, the series revolves around the lives of Syrians who have returned to the area after years of displacement.
Among the show's main characters are a man who had opposition leanings in the early years of the war. In one scene, security forces interrogate him and force him to name another opposition sympathiser whom they later arrest.
"The return of Syrian social dramas is a breakthrough'', Elsbei said on the set of the show as children ran around charred vehicles used as props.
It "ushers in a new way of engaging with Syrian dramas by TV networks in the Gulf'', Elsbei said.
The series is not only airing on MBC channels but also on the popular streaming service Shahid, likewise owned by the MBC group.
The wide exposure is seen as a boon to Syria's filming industry, which has been struck by dried-up funding and the exodus of major talent, mainly to Egypt and Dubai.
"We suffered greatly from the years-long boycott of Syrian drama'', said Yamen Alhajali, screenwriter of the series.
"Art should be treated as art'', not as politics, he said. For Alhajali, MBC's popularity guarantees the show a wide audience.
MBC "is one of the most important platforms in the Arab world", he said.
"It has a wide audience and large viewership which will give the show a rightful reach."
This Ramadhan season, around 20 Syrian shows of various genres are airing on TV screens at home in Syria, as well as across the region.
For Ahmad al Sheikh, the producer of Suspended, this marks the start of a long road towards recovery.
"Gulf channels are an essential supporter of Arab drama'', he said. "We are at the beginning of the road again, and we hope this drive will continue." — AFP
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