The history of Syrian cinema is inextricably linked to its political history beginning in 1920 when the French took colonial control, forcing King Faisal to leave the country. Under their rule, many theatres were built in Damascus, but they screened primarily French films. The first Syrian-produced film was The Innocent Suspect, a black-and-white silent feature made in 1927. This was only one year after Egypt released its first feature film. The film was created by three Syrian film fans who imported a German camera which none of them knew how to use, so they hired a photographer to write the script and operate the camera. The film was a hit, and the three then formed the first Syrian production company, Hermon Films.
However, their second film, Under the Damascus Sky (1934), did not fare as well. Unfortunately, its release date coincided with that of the Egyptian musical Hymn of the Heart, whose success overshadowed its Syrian counterpart, and it became a commercial flop. Not only that: the film was banned by the French authorities for exceeding its budget and fined for copyright infringement for its music. Since Egyptian films dominated the Syrian box office, Syrian filmmakers sought opportunities in Cairo.
formerly Mad Cornish Projectionist.