The Way Home

The way home. Following the tracks of my family

In 1980, filmmaker Wael Kadlo was born in Syria, coinciding with the launch of a project to build an international highway near his home—a structure that creates a physical divide between the city and its impoverished suburb. By 1985, Wael meets his father for the first time and discovers that the woman he has always called “mother” is actually his grandmother. This revelation stems from a custody conflict between the grandmother and his biological mother.

In the subsequent years, Wael begins a battle with cancer, marked by numerous incorrect diagnoses and delayed treatment in government hospitals. By 2000, he embarks on a search for his biological mother and delves into the family’s history. However, these attempts to confront and understand his past disrupt the delicate stability that each family member has maintained.

In 2013, Wael flees to Lebanon, continuing his investigation into his family roots. This journey is fueled by his belief that the struggles with cancer, family disintegration, and urban transformations are metaphors for the wider social and political crises of the present.