0 / 256
Birds of War
Institute of Contemporary Arts
Birds of War, dir. Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak, UK/Syria/Lebanon 2025, 85 mins, Arabic and English with English subtitles
Book tickets

Janay Boulos, a young Lebanese journalist at the BBC, first contacts Syrian cameraman Abd Alkader Habak for footage during the final months of one of the bloodiest and most decisive turning points in Syria’s brutal civil war. Through texts, video exchanges, voice messages and shared moments from afar, their bond deepens as Janay discovers more about the extraordinary young man documenting violence for her reports, whilst Habak’s world becomes increasingly perilous. When an act of compassion forces Habak to flee Syria, their relationship enters a new phase: for the first time, they meet in person. Distance, war, cultural differences and familial judgements temporarily fade as the two wrap themselves in a cocoon of safety, away from the terror back home. Despite this, they are never far from the question that will soon enough come to haunt them: could two people from such disparate worlds build a life together?
 
Book tickets
Fri, 03 Jul 2026
Cinema 1
06:30 pm
Sat, 04 Jul 2026
Cinema 1
06:30 pm
Sun, 05 Jul 2026
Cinema 1
08:00 pm
Tue, 07 Jul 2026
Cinema 2
08:15 pm
Wed, 08 Jul 2026
Cinema 2
08:30 pm
Thu, 09 Jul 2026
Cinema 2
06:45 pm
Ticket information
  • All tickets that do not require ID (full price, disabled, income support) can be printed at home or stored in email
  • For aged-based concession tickets (under 25, student) please bring relevant ID to collect at the front desk before the event.
Access information
Cinema 1
  • Both our Cinemas have step free access from The Mall and are accessible by ramp
  • We have 1 wheelchair allocated space with a seat for a companion
  • All seats are hard back, have a crushed velvet feel and they do not recline
  • These are our seat size dimensions: W 42 x D 45 x H 52
  • Arm rest either side of the seat dimensions: L 27 x W 7 x H 20
Please email access@ica.art
for the following requirements:
  • We have unassigned seating. If you require a specific seat, please reserve this in advance
  • Free for visitors where ticket prices are a barrier, please email

Cinema 2
  • Both our Cinemas have step free access from The Mall and are accessible by ramp
  • All seats are hard back, have a crushed velvet feel and they do not recline
  • These are our seat size dimensions: W 42 x D 45 x H 52
  • Arm rest either side of the seat dimensions: L 27 x W 7 x H 20
Please email access@ica.art
for the following requirements:
  • We have a removable seat to create a wheelchair allocated space, please contact to organise this prior to the date and time of the screening
  • We have unassigned seating. If you require a specific seat, please reserve this in advance
  • Free for visitors where ticket prices are a barrier, please email

All films are ad-free and 18+ unless otherwise stated, and start with a 10 min. curated selection of trailers.

Members+ and all Patrons gain free entry to all cinema screenings, exhibitions, talks, and more.
Join today as a Member+ for £25/month.