City of Ghosts () is a 2017 Arabic-language American documentary film about the Syrian media activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently as they face the realities of life undercover, on the run, and in exile after their homeland is taken over by ISIS in 2014. The film was directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman (Cartel Land).
Heineman won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Award from the Directors Guild of America for the film, becoming one of only three people to win the prestigious honor twice. City of Ghosts also won the Courage Under Fire Award from the International Documentary Association "in recognition of conspicuous bravery in the pursuit of truth" and was listed on over 20 critic and year-end lists for Best Documentary of 2017. City of Ghosts was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, BAFTA Award, PGA Award, IDA Award for Best Documentary Features.
Release The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. It was subsequently acquired by Amazon in a $2 million deal.
The film was released theatrically by Amazon Studios, A&E IndieFilms and IFC Films on July 14, 2017.
Reception City of Ghosts received critical acclaim upon release. , the film holds a 98% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 8.40/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "City of Ghosts takes a hard-hitting, ground-level look at atrocities in a part of the world that may seem foreign to many viewers, but whose impact will be no less devastating." On Metacritic, it holds a rating of 86/100, based on 31 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Charlie Phillips of The Guardian gave the film five stars and called it "the definitive contemporary documentary about the tragedy of Syria."
Awards and nominations Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients and nominees ResultBAFTA AwardsFebruary 18, 2018Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsChicago Film Critics AssociationDecember 10, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsCinema Eye Honors January 11, 2018Best Documentary, Best Director, Best ProductionCity of Ghosts CPH:DOX March 26, 2017 Audience AwardCity of Ghosts Creative Arts Emmy AwardsSeptember 8, 2018Exceptional Merit in Documentary FilmmakingCity of GhostsCritics Choice Documentary AwardsNovember 2, 2017Best Director, Best DocumentaryMatthew HeinemanDallas Fort Worth Film Critics AssociationDecember 13, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of Ghosts Dallas International Film Festival April 10, 2017 Silver Heart Award City of Ghosts Directors Guild of America AwardsFebruary 4, 2018Outstanding Directorial Achievement in DocumentaryMatthew Heineman Docville March 30, 2017 Jury Award Best Conscience Documentary City of Ghosts Galway Film FleadhJuly 17, 2017Best Human Rights FeatureCity of Ghosts Greenwich International Film Festival June 2017 Best Social Impact Film City of Ghosts International Documentary AssociationSeptember 12, 2017Courage Under Fire AwardMatthew HeinemanInternational Documentary Association AwardsDecember 9, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsInternational Press Academy Satellite AwardsFebruary 10, 2018Best Motion Picture, DocumentaryCity of GhostsIowa Film Critics AssociationJanuary 9, 2018Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsJerusalem Film FestivalJune 22, 2017Best Documentary City of GhostsMelbourne International Film FestivalAugust 20, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of Ghosts Montclair Film Festival May 7, 2017 Special Jury Prize for Direction Matthew Heineman Munich Film FestivalJune 24, 2017Fritz-Gerlich PrizeMatthew HeinemanNorth Texas Film Critics AssociationDecember 6, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsProducers Guild of America AwardsJanuary 20, 2018Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion PicturesMatthew HeinemanPhoenix Critics CircleDecember 11, 2017Best Documentary FilmCity of GhostsPhoenix Film Critics Society AwardsDecember 19, 2017Best Documentary City of GhostsSan Francisco Film Critics CircleDecember 10, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsSeattle Film Critics AwardsDecember 18, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of GhostsSeattle International Film FestivalJune 11, 2017Golden Space Needle AwardCity of Ghosts Sheffield Doc/Fest Awards June 2017 Grand Jury Award City of Ghosts Social Impact Media AwardsJanuary 2018Documentary FeaturesCity of GhostsSt. Louis Film Critics AssociationDecember 10, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of Ghosts Sundance Film Festival 2017 Candescent Award City of Ghosts Sundance Film Festival January 28, 2017 Grand Jury Prize – US Documentary Matthew Heineman Washington DC Area Film Critics Association AwardsDecember 8, 2017Best DocumentaryCity of Ghosts
References
External links
Official trailer