UZNACH, Switzerland — After being screened in several cinemas across Europe, the film Darbo d’Athro (The Road to the Homeland) by young Syriac director Elia Beth Malke was shown in the city of Uznach, drawing more than 120 attendees from the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community, along with a number of international viewers interested in the film and its message.
The German-language documentary follows the director’s journey to Lebanon and Syria, where he sought to closely observe the conditions of Christians living in their ancestral homeland and to better understand the challenges they currently face.
Throughout the journey, the director met with members of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community, listening to their testimonies about daily life and living conditions in an effort to present an authentic and realistic portrayal of his people’s situation.
Following the screening, Father Karim Asmar delivered a speech praising Beth Malke’s work and the message conveyed through the film. He highlighted the existence of a common misconception portraying the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people and their churches as divided, noting that the film represents an important step toward challenging this narrative. He also encouraged young people to take similar initiatives across various fields to showcase the true image of this historic community — its unity, resilience, and ability to achieve on a global scale.
The audience was then invited to share their impressions and reflections on the film.
President of the European Syriac Union (ESU) Switzerland and Germany Branch and host of Sbuthan, Shleymun Rhawi.
Shleymun Rhawi, president of the European Syriac Union (ESU) branch in Switzerland and Germany and host of the program Sbuthan, described the screening as highly successful, noting the strong turnout. He added that the film conveys a powerful message of unity among the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people, regardless of the different names by which they are known.
Darbo d’Athro was previously screened on 27 February at the Cineplex cinema in Bad Hersfeld, on 1 March in Göppingen —the director’s hometown, and on 23 March in Berlin.
Director Elia Beth Malke called on members of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community across Europe to attend the film, engage with its message, and follow its narrative, which offers a documentary insight into the realities and challenges facing their people in their ancestral homeland of Beth Nahrin (Mesopotamia).