Journalists bring injustices of the world to light. In the hopes of making change, they’ll encounter danger, violence and even death.

Bassel Al Shahade encountered all three. He was killed in May in his home country of Syria, where he was working as a citizen journalist. On Wednesday, Syracuse University will host a day of remembrance for Al Shahade, who was a graduate film student in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

The day will begin with a memorial service at 10:30 a.m. at Hendricks Chapel, followed by a symposium at 2 p.m. in the Maxwell Public Events Room in Eggers Hall.

The symposium will discuss Al Shahade and the violence in Syria, and will feature political columnist, author and SU alumnus Rami Khouri; James Steinberg, dean of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs; composer and pianist Malek Jandali; and musician Mohamed Alsiadi.

Many of Al Shahade’s short films will be screened at the event, including one about a young child’s experience with war.

Later that day at 7 p.m., Alsiadi and Jandali will be featured in a concert at Setnor Auditorium in Crouse College.

Erica Blust, communications manager for VPA, said Al Shahade’s films will be shown at the symposium and concert, as it is also a part of the 2012 Syracuse International Film Festival.

Ticket proceeds and donations from the concert will go toward a festival award in Al Shahade’s name. The award goes to a filmmaker who focuses on important social justice issues. The Filmmaker Award for Peace and Social Justice will be a focus of the festival in the coming years, Blust said.

Owen Shapiro, Shahade’s former faculty adviser and film professor in VPA, is also serving as the festival’s artistic director.

“A filmmaker cares about people, is creative, has social and political commitments and tries in a modest way to make the world a little more understandable, a little bit more compassionate place for all; a person who fights, through the use of sounds and images, injustice and intolerance,” Shapiro said in a press release. “Bassel was a filmmaker, and we all will sorely miss him.”

Tickets are $12 for students, $25 for the public and $100 for a sponsor ticket, which includes a donation to the festival filmmaker award fund.

Published on October 10, 2012 at 2:58 am

Contact Nick: nxsmith@syr.edu