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33 years ago, Omar Amiralay was an unquestioning supporter of the modernization of his country, Syria. He even made his first film to sing the praises of the dam on the Euphrates, the pride of the Baas party in power. Today, he regrets this youthful indiscretion. The collapse of the dam and the revelation of an official report predicting a similar fate for all dams build during the reign of the Baas party incited him to return to the scene of his first film. A land spread out around Lake Assad: the Syria of Hafez el-Assad. In this new Syria, he chose a village. This village, its inhabitants and even its watering place bear the same name: "El Machi." Governed by a tribal chief, a member of Parliament and administrated by his nephew, a schoolmaster and party leader, this "El Machian" entity is in the image of a country that the Baas party has been exclusively shaping for the past 40 years.

France - 2003 - 46 mn - Betacam SP - Colour

Director Omar Amiralay Script Omar Amiralay Camera Meyar Al Roumi Editing Chantal Piquet

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