Starz will give the timely Syrian refugee documentary After Spring a national debut on its channel Feb. 10, but Starz subscribers using the network’s app can access the film a week early. Starz is also making the film available Feb. 3 via Starz on Demand.
The documentary, which debuted at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, interviews both refugees and aid workers at the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan.
“We’ve all seen the hyperbole and the polemics, and the propaganda about who these refugees are and what these camps are and to see it in its most stark human, objective form is beautiful,” said executive producer Jon Stewart, former host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, in a statement. “[Filmmakers] Steph [Ching] and Ellen [Martinez] found a way to tell the story of the camp, to provide some context for the families’ stories in a beautiful, real and unobtrusive way that is particularly moving and urgent.”
In a joint statement, the filmmakers made note that millions of Syrians continue to be displaced by the ongoing conflict there, which has entered its sixth year.
“When we started working on this film three years ago, our goal was to put a human face to the Syrian refugee crisis. Unfortunately, the need for empathy and understanding has never been more urgent,” they said. “Today the Syrian refugee resettlement program has been suspended in the United States. We implore everyone to watch this film and spend some time with these two families who are affected by war and are now seeking safety.”
