LAST MEN IN ALEPPO

Merciless war has been raging in Syria for the last five years. Though millions have fled their homes for foreign borders, one group of brave men are steadfast in protecting what is left of their cherished city of Aleppo. The Syrian Civil Defense, more commonly known as the White Helmets, banded together in 2013 to serve as a volunteer search-and-rescue crew for their fellow civilians enduring the destruction. These men respond to ongoing attacks, often pulling bodies from massive piles of rubble, their eyes glued to the sky for fear of yet another Russian airstrike. While much of the city is in desolate ruins, life still remains. An all-too-brief cease-fire gives families a quick respite from death as children run freely in the streets. But daily bombings and scarce resources force these local heroes to weigh their self-proclaimed destiny to defend their home with the grave consequences they will inevitably leave their children. LAST MEN IN ALEPPO depicts the unbelievable resilience of human beings who are barely surviving and begs the world to finally notice. (In Arabic with subtitles) —A.B.