The Syrian Civil War continues to rage. Approximately 70,000 Syrians have already been killed and an estimated 4 million Syrians have fled their homes as refugees.

PBS’s Frontline recently aired a gripping documentary on “Syria Behind the Lines.” The documentary follows the lives of a Syrian Army lieutenant, rebel fighter, and  civilians in the Orontes river valley. The film reveals the sectarian and political motivations of the combatants and the brutality of the conflict. The filmmaker also shows the fragility of the life of refugee civilians caught in the midst of the fighting.

Scholars and students studying civil violence and religious violence will find this documentary fascinating, but also disturbing.

NIU students in HIST 390 History and Film: War in Film will be particularly interested in this documentary film.