“Valley of Exile:” Anna Fahr’s Debut

Members of St. Lawrence University’s Digital Media and Film department hosted a private, university-only screening of “Valley of Exile,” a narrative film written and directed by Professor Anna Fahr, on Oct. 26 in Gulick Theater.   

Only professors and students in the DMF department were invited to the screening. “It’s been in the festival circuit since its release in August,” said Fahr. Fahr is screening her movie privately so she can avoid violating film festival guidelines and running the risk of having her film disqualified. “So far, it’s picked up a couple of awards — one in California and one in Vancouver,” says Fahr.  

“Valley of Exile” follows the lives of two sisters who are migrating from Syria to Lebanon in the earlier years of the Syrian war. Their plans fall through, and so they have to stay in a refugee camp in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon until the older sister’s husband arrives and can help them find an apartment. “The film is looking at the bonds that are formed between women in the absence of men,” says Fahr. “As well as the journey of these two sisters as they navigate their lives in exile.”   

Fahr began writing the script for “Valley of Exile” in 2015, so the writing and filming processes together took 8 years to complete. Fahr comes from an Iranian background, and her parents immigrated from Iran in the 1970s. Fahr says her film was partly inspired by the travels of her relatives. “I’ve always reflected on what it means to have the right to travel because, in my case, I’m able to travel easily and freely without any issues,” says Fahr. “I’ve always been very interested in thinking about refugee rights and refugee experiences.”  

According to Fahr, the filming process in the Bekaa Valley was extremely difficult. They could only use cash, so crew members were constantly exchanging money on the black market. “We started pre-production in 2020, it was during COVID,” says Fahr. “It was during a time of economic crisis; the currency was collapsing. Every day, my production manager was trying to buy gasoline on the black market to fill our tanks.” Yet, against all odds, “Valley of Exile” was made.   

In the Q&A session following the screening in Gulick, “Valley of Exile” received many positive comments from members of the audience. “I feel this film illustrates a type of resilience that is everyday and mundane, a resilience this audience might be less familiar with,” says Zeyno Ustun, a professor in the DMF and Sociology departments. Ustun is referring to how many films about war in the Middle East dramatize the conflict, whereas “Valley of Exile” focuses on average people in mildly dangerous situations, which is more realistic. “This film questions what defines a home — what is a home?” asks Ustun.   

Mahrou Zhaf, a professor in the DMF and Gender Studies departments, appreciated the female representation in the film. According to Zhaf, many films about conflicts in the Middle East have female characters who suffer and die, and she was glad that the characters written by Fahr survived and overcame some of the obstacles presented to them. “Growing up a woman in a warzone, I know you have to consider your own safety, even more so than in times of peace,” says Zhaf. “It could have happened to them [the female characters in Fahr’s film], but it didn’t, and for that, I thank you.”   

DMF students at the screening also praised the technical aspects of “Valley of Exile.” “The film felt a little voyeuristic, in a way,” says Emily Boswell ’24. “The deep focus shots created a sense of unease and unwelcome-ness, both for the characters and myself.” Jed Saltus ’25, the president of the St. Lawrence Film Club, appreciated the writing of the film. “A notable aspect of this film was its purpose,” Saltus elaborates. “It didn’t have intense, over-the-top scenes like you’d see in Hollywood movies. It stayed true to the realities of the hardships that Syrian refugees face.”  

Fahr is working with a Canadian distributor to get her film off the ground after it is done in the festival circuit. “We’re going to do a theatrical release in Canada at some point,” says Fahr. “Then, hopefully, maybe we can find an American distributor and get the film to more venues.” After that, Fahr would like to see “Valley of Exile” on different streaming services in the United States.