Syrian filmmaker Abdellatif Abd al-Hamid has passed away at the age of 70

The Artists Union in Syria, along with several cinema institutions, mourned the director Abdellatif Abd al-Hamid, who passed away late Wednesday night at the age of 70.

In a joint statement by the Syrian Ministry of Culture and the General Cinema Corporation, it was stated that the late director "left behind a rich cinematic legacy that holds great value in the history of Syrian and Arab cinema as a whole."

Abd al-Hamid was born in 1954 and studied Arabic literature at Tishreen University before receiving a scholarship to study cinema in Russia. He then returned to Syria to begin his career with the General Cinema Corporation.

He presented a series of films that left a mark on Syrian cinema, most of which he both wrote and directed, including "Nights of Ibn Awiyah," "Verbal Messages," "The Rise of Rain," "Breeze of the Soul," "Two Moons and an Olive Tree," "What Listeners Ask For," "September Rain," "The Road of Bees," and "Solo Performance." He also played roles in some films, such as "Waiting for Autumn" directed by Joud Saeed, and "Ma'ward" directed by Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed.

Several Syrian artists expressed their sadness at the loss of the prominent director through their social media accounts, including Kinda Hanna, Taim Hasan, and Mustafa Al Khani.

Actor Karam al-Sharani wrote on his Facebook account, "His exceptional laughter... exceptional facial expressions that you cannot truly understand because he looks at you but he's lost in another world... exceptional way of speaking... his exceptional films like 'Verbal Messages,' 'Nights of Ibn Awiyah,' and 'What Listeners Ask For.' The exceptional lover in his love for his late wife Larisa... a very big loss for everyone who knew you and for Syrian cinema in particular, and Arab cinema in general.

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