The documentary Ballad for Syria was screened in Hrant Dink Foundation Anarad Hığutyun Building Havak Hall on October 23. After the screening, a talk was held with the director Eda Elif Tibet with moderation of Evrim Hikmet Öğüt.

Eda Elif Tibet told about how her experience as a child of a migrant family helped her understand the migrants during the shooting of the documentary. Focusing on the experiences and life of Maisa Alhafez, who is the master of Istanbul Mosaic Oriental Choir, the documentary sheds a light on her life in Istanbul.  

Eda Elif Tibet said that Maisa Alhafez led her to shoot this documentary which shows the migrant experience in Istanbul from a different perspective. Tibet also stated that Maisa Alhafez and other choir members have freedoms that they couldn’t have in their country thanks to emancipating nature of migration.

Regarding the effort of reuniting of the families shown in the documentary as the true meaning of immigration, Eda Elif Tibet stated that immigration is the struggle of war survivors.  

Stating that the effects of the documentary vary from land to land, Tibet said that it has a confessional effect on Europeans and it makes Turkish audience feel like “We are already sisters and brothers.” She noted that she wants to show people that refugees are not different with this documentary which has been screened various international platforms.