This Rain Will Never Stop

After they fled the war in Syria, the Suleyman family was scattered across Europe. Lazgin lives with his family in Ukraine, but his brother Koshnhav is in Germany, while a third brother is in Kurdish Iraq, and a fourth remains in Syria.

This Rain Will Never Stop follows Lazgin’s son Andriy, who is now a volunteer with the Red Cross and dealing with another military conflict, this time in Ukraine. Whether to escape the war or help relieve the suffering on site—such is the dilemma that Andriy struggles with during a visit to his brother in Germany and an emotional reunion with relatives in Iraq. After the sudden death of his father, Andriy decides to accompany the body back to Syria.

Andriy’s journeys are interspersed with footage of humanitarian relief efforts, displays of military strength, festive gatherings, and slices of everyday life—like an endless cycle of war and peace, in striking black-and-white cinematography. A dark atmosphere and the sparingly supplied information emphasize the grief and uncertainty within a war-torn family.