Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which controls Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, has recently brought back cinema to the city of Idlib as part of its ongoing attempts to market itself as a moderate group. 

Cinema Al-Zahra has reopened its doors in Idlib, after being closed for more than 20 years due to neglect and war. The theater has now reopened under a new name — “The Royal Palace” — and it welcomes visitors once a week to watch a film for free, without the need for booking a ticket. The theater screens entertainment, cultural, family and children's films.

Amer al-Rayes, an Idlib resident, told Al-Monitor, “The elderly come to the cinema to relive old memories. About 40 years ago, we would come to this theater to watch films, but with the advent of television, cinema lost its popularity and the theater was forced to shut its doors. Now that it is open again, I came with my family to relive my memories and tell my children and grandchildren about the beauty of cinema.”

Another resident of Idlib, Reem al-Ali told Al-Monitor, “The new generation does not know cinema. Some have come to discover what cinema is. This is the first time that I visit a cinema. When the revolution broke out in Syria I was 15 years old, and I had never been to a film theater before that. My parents had told me a lot about it though.”