The inaugural edition of Syrian Doc Days was founded in 2018 with a simple but urgent mission: to tell the stories of the people behind the headlines. At a time when Syria was often reduced to breaking news and statistics, the festival created a space for documentary cinema to reveal the human experiences of war, resilience, and survival. Through a carefully curated programme of films, including a special focus on torture in Assad's detention centres with Tadmor and Stories Beyond Torture, the festival invited audiences to engage with the realities of Syria through the voices of those who lived them. Syrian Doc Days was born from the belief that documentary cinema can preserve memory, foster understanding, and build dialogue across cultures.