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Goethe-Institut im Exil

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5:00 PM-7:00 PM

Syria: Quo Vadis?

Panel Talk|A year after the fall of Assad, where do Syrians in Germany stand today?

  • ACUD Studio, Berlin

  • English
  • Free entrance

Yarmouk Camp cemetery, bombed by the Syrian regime and later by ISIS. © Guevara Namer

Yarmouk Camp cemetery, bombed by the Syrian regime and later by ISIS. © Guevara Namer

In the fifth edition of our series “Syria: Quo Vadis?” We return to a decisive moment in recent Syrian history and in our own work: one year after the fall of the Assad regime – and exactly one year after we launched this series at ACUD Kunsthaus Berlin. We take this anniversary as an opportunity to look back at what has changed over the past year, both in Syria and in Germany, and how these developments are experienced by Syrians in exile.

How do Syrians in Germany view the situation in both Syria and Germany after the changes that have taken place in the two countries over the past year? Does the concept of the “barzakh” (in-between state) seem clearer today than ever, given that the situation in Syria still does not allow for the safe voluntary return of all Syrians and the building of a dignified life there, while at the same time anti-immigration rhetoric in general – and calls for the return of Syrians in particular – has grown sharper here in Germany? How do Syrians in Germany feel today toward their “two countries”: their homeland, and the country in which they have lived, worked, and built a new life?

With the help of experts and voices from the Syrian diaspora, we try to understand how people are experiencing the political transition on the ground: between the feeling that hope for change has become possible, and the emergence of margins of freedom that Syrians had not known throughout decades of Assad’s rule, and, on the other hand, the persistent fears of outbreaks of violence, rising sectarian tensions, miserable economic conditions, and international and regional interventions in the internal situation and in the reconstruction process. Together with our guests – theatre-maker Mohammad Al Attar, filmmaker Guevara Namer, and lawyer Joumana Seif – we seek to understand how people are experiencing political change on the ground: between the sense that hope for change has become possible and the emergence of spaces of freedom that Syrians did not have before.
The event is part of the series “Syria: Quo Vadis?” by the Goethe-Institut im Exil. Since early 2025, the series at ACUD Kunsthaus Berlin has created a space for conversations about identity, memory, accountability, and future perspectives – and for the voices of the Syrian diaspora who critically and actively accompany the ongoing transformations of their country.

This event is part of the “Syria: Quo Vadis?” series organized by the Goethe-Institut in Exile. Since early 2025, this series has created a space at Berlin’s ACUD Kunsthaus for critical reflection on Syria in the wake of the Assad regime’s fall. Across several evenings, the program explores essential questions of identity, memory, accountability, and visions for the future. The spotlight is on voices from the Syrian diaspora, who share the challenges, perspectives, and hopes they carry for their homeland.

Accessibility:
ACUD has step-free access to both upper floors. Please contact us in advance at im-exil@goethe.de, or speak to a member of the Goethe-Institut in Exile team on-site, so that elevator access can be arranged.

Panelists

Mohammad Al Attar is a Syrian writer, playwright, and essayist. His work blends documentation with fiction, establishing him as an important chronicler of war-torn Syria. His plays like 'Withdrawal'. 'A Chance Encounter'.  'Could You Please Look into the Camera?'. 'Antigone of Shatila'. 'While I was waiting'.  'Aleppo. A Portrait of Absence'. 'Iphigenia. ' 'The Factory'.  'Damascus 2045. ' ‘Yesterday’s Encounter’ and ‘Searching for Zenobia’ have been performed in various languages at prominent international theaters and festivals, including Volksbühne Theater, HKW Berlin, Ruhrtriennale, Theater Freiburg; Avignon Festival and Festival d'Automne in Paris; Lincoln Center in New York; Kunsten Festival in Brussels; Royal Court Theatre in London; Zurich Theater Spektakel and Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia, among others. In addition to his stage writings, Al Attar has contributed to numerous magazines and newspapers, focusing on the Syrian uprising and its resulting conflicts since 2011.

Guevara Namer is a Berlin-based documentary filmmaker and visual artist whose work explores feminism, identity, and exile. Beginning her career in Damascus in 2005, she has collaborated internationally as director, cinematographer, researcher, and producer. A German Film Academy awardee (Lola 2022), she has contributed to award-winning projects presented at major festivals and broadcasters. Beyond filmmaking, she is an experienced panelist and consultant on MENA cinema, focusing on socio-political artistic storytelling.

Joumana Seif is a member of the National Commission for Transitional Justice, Truth Committee. She is the founder of the Riad Seif Human Rights Foundation and Chair of the Board of the Democratic Dialogue Forum, Damascus. She works as Senior Legal Adviser in the International Crimes and Accountability Program at the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Berlin. She received the Anna Klein Award for Courage in recognition of her contribution to classifying sexual violence committed in Syrian detention centers as a weapon of war and a crime against humanity.
Joumana supported the democratic movement in Syria with a particular focus on political detainees since 2000. She was forced to leave Syria in 2012. She co-founded the Syrian Feminist Lobby in 2014 and the Syrian Feminist Political Movement in 2017. In 2022, she served as Chair of the Board of the Day After Organization for Supporting Democratic Transition in Syria. She returned to Syria to contribute to the political transition phase following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.