Documentary ‘Souls in Transit’ about 1915 Sayfo Genocide to screen in New Jersey and Massachusetts in US

TEANECK, New Jersey / WORCESTER, Massachusetts — The documentary film Souls in Transit, which examines the 1915 Sayfo Genocide, will be screened this month in New Jersey and Massachusetts in the United States. Directed by Aida Schlafer, the film explores the atrocities committed against Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities under the Ottoman Empire and draws parallels with more recent attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS). 

The screenings are part of a US tour organized in collaboration with Shleymun Rhawi, a representative of the European Syriac Union (ESU). The film documents the organized killings and forced displacements endured by Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) communities during the Sayfo and highlights the enduring impacts of violence in the region. 

The first screening is set for Tuesday, 15 June, at 6:30 PM at Teaneck Cinemas in Teaneck, New Jersey. Tickets are priced at $25 and include a full showing of the film followed by a Q&A session with director Aida Schlafer. 

A second screening will take place on Thursday, 17 June, at 6:45 PM at Regal Cinemas in the Solomon Pond Mall in Worcester, Massachusetts, supported by St. Mary’s Church. Admission is also $25. 

Members of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community have been invited to attend, with organizers emphasizing the importance of remembering the victims of the Sayfo Genocide and raising awareness of the historical and ongoing struggles of these communities.