Syrian novelist and director Waha Al-Rahib clarified that the questions in her novels are not tied to a specific time period, but are connected to issues of humanity, freedom, and fear. These issues transcend the boundaries of time and space and remain present in the human experience. Al-Rahib describes the continuation of the questions raised in her novel "A Barrier for a Shroud," which addresses the experience of a woman whose social suffering intersects with political violence and the violations suffered by Syrian women in detention centers during the former regime.
From Women's Suffering to Society's Story
The novel appears as a guest in the weekly "Novels of Freedom" corner, through the character of Sabah, a Syrian woman whose story illustrates the intersection of social and political repression in a woman's life. The novel reveals how forms of violence within the family, society, and security institutions during the former regime intertwine, leaving women facing harsh choices that threaten their lives and dignity. Al-Rahib told SANA: "What I presented in the novel is an expression of the complex entanglement between the reality of oppressed women and the system of repression that affected members of society, both men and women." She explained that women face double repression due to the constraints imposed on them by men.
Detainees' Testimonies and the Memory of Pain
Regarding the novel's reliance on testimonies from Syrian female detainees, Al-Rahib stated that their experiences caused personal pain that drove her to write. She highlighted her desire to document what women endured as a human wound and to transform these experiences into a literary work preserved by memory. She added that the artistic format allows these testimonies to transcend the limits of direct documentation, given their capacity for endurance and impact, which motivated her to write the novel. She noted that she worked on women's issues through founding the "Al-Mubadara" (The Initiative) association, which was banned by the former regime, and addressed people's concerns in her works as a writer and director.
Cinema and Novels as Integrated Tools
Al-Rahib emphasized that her interest in women's issues preceded writing "A Barrier for a Shroud," as she stood by the most vulnerable groups in society since childhood, before women became a central focus in her literary and cinematic works. She explained that her experience in film directing helped her portray novel characters with their psychological, social, economic, and cultural dimensions, while her studies in directing in France influenced her literary language. Al-Rahib finds that writing and directing express the core of her personality more effectively, allowing her to convey her vision of societal issues.
New Literary and Cinematic Projects
Al-Rahib revealed her current projects, stating she is working on writing her fifth novel and seeking a production entity to adapt her novels "The Salmon Drowned" and "Madness is Free" into a cinematic or dramatic work. She has also completed an adaptation of three episodes from "Madness is Free" in script format for a series, following feedback from readers and critics regarding the suitability of the novels for screen adaptation. She clarified that "Madness is Free" is distinguished by its psychological and political structure and its social and political dimensions linked to the Syrian experience, while "The Salmon Drowned" addresses the transformations of Syrian society over a century.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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