During an airstrike, in a Civil war-ravaged, Syria,
three teenage boys desperately seek refuge in an abandoned, run-down building.
Samir receives a call from his frantic mother, urging him to be safe and return home, once the airstrike is over.
Although he is desperate to return to his mother, he is persuaded by Shihab to partake in drugs.
The mood intensifies, as the conversation turns to Alia and Alaa, the “heroic” friends of Shihab, who were apprehended by the regime’s Secret Service, for aiding wounded rebels.
An interrogation ensues, with Shihab questioning Samir’s involvement in the apprehension of Alia and Alaa.
Samir’s mood turns even more somber and he requests more pills. Shihab blatantly accuses Samir of being the traitor, questioning his loyalty to his loved ones. As troops enter the building, the boys are once again forced to flee, with the narcotics taking an overwhelming effect on Samir.
Outside, they run into Husam, a cousin of Alia and Alaa.
When Alia and Alaa’s apprehension is once again brought up, and Samir is revealed as the traitor, Husam physically assaults Samir.
Through ragged breath, Samir relays the desperate events that led to his betrayal. Samir loses consciousness and becomes unresponsive, having overdosed on the drugs.
As the boys desperately try to revive Samir, it is brought to light that the narcotics were part of a ploy to trick Samir into confessing.
As army troops emerge from the building, the trio flees, abandoning Samir. This act forces a transition of childhood innocence into the brutality of adulthood.
Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival 