Edition 24: 1–9 August, 2025

FIELD OF VISION

The Journey

United States
2016 — 71' / Color

1

Synopsis

“The Journey” is a six-part documentary series directed by Matthew Cassel, which follows the treacherous, 1,700-mile migration of a Syrian refugee who fled the perils of wartime Damascus to build a better life for his family. It’s being released by Field of Vision, The New Yorker, and co-creators Laura Poitras, AJ Schnack, and Charlotte Cook.

Director Biography

Matthew Cassel is an independent multimedia journalist and filmmaker based in Istanbul. He spent five years covering the Arab world with the Al Jazeera network. His 2013 award-winning film for AJE, "Identity and Exile: an American’s struggle with Zionism," focuses on his personal journey from his hometown Chicago to the Middle East, where he has lived for the past decade. Cassel is co-editor of Diaries of an Unfinished Revolution: Voices from Tunis to Damascus (Penguin, 2013), a collection of essays on the 2011 uprisings by writers from across the Arab world. Cassel speaks fluent Arabic and has spent much of the past two years focusing on the plight of refugees seeking asylum in the EU.

Director

Matthew Cassel

Producer

Matthew Cassel

Olivia Dehez

Cinematographer

Matthew Cassel

Simon Safieh

Editor

Olivia Dehez

Sound

Post Biyik

Contact

Field of Vision
Laura Poitras
[email protected]