The Final Return

Synopsis

A cramped military checkpoint in war-torn Syria, where the cold seeps into bones and uncertainty hangs thick in the air

Hussam, a reluctant soldier in Assad’s army, returns home on a brief 24-hour leave, grappling with the weight of his role in the ongoing conflict. As he reunites with his family – his ambitious mother, naive sister Samar, and hot-headed brother Hazem – the facade of normalcy quickly crumbles. Over the course of a tense family dinner with Samar’s fiancé Yasser, Hussam’s internal struggle erupts, laying bare the devastating impact of war on individuals, families, and society.

Al-Mhithawi’s searing two-act play pulses with raw emotion and moral complexity. Through sharp dialogue and charged silences, he deftly explores themes of duty, disillusionment, and the erosion of humanity in times of conflict. The claustrophobic domestic setting becomes a microcosm of a fractured nation, where long-held beliefs clash with brutal realities. With unflinching honesty, The Final Return forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about loyalty, complicity, and the true cost of war.