Bob Simon, a CBS news correspondent for over 40 years, has seen war zones all over the world, but he admits, he hasn’t quite seen anything like the coverage from Syrians telling their stories from where they are, as reported by 60 minutes. Simon and his team are collecting clips from Syrian filmmakers, and he says, “It’s as raw as it gets.”
Simon says he feels odd for not reporting from the war from inside the country, but the Syrian conflict has been notoriously difficult for journalists. “It is not just dangerous to be there, it is suicidal.”
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He discusses one film by Basset in Homs, “a 19 year old Syrian National Youth goalkeeper who gets captured by the spirit of the uprising, and in fact, captures the spirit of the uprising.” Basset had started out secular, but has become militant. He didn’t really believe in ISIS, but wanted to get rid of Assad, but became more extreme when he felt the West had abandoned him.
A woman named Simav has been filming what is going on in schools and hospitals. She reports she is happy when she sees a field so she can have grass to eat, since she is never certain of whether there is going to be enough food.
The 90 minute film is a collection of short films by Syrians experiencing the conflict firsthand. Simon says, “You’re just watching it and you become a part of what you are watching. And the horror deepens by the minute.”
