Cries From Syria (Official Trailer) | HBO, Syria, film trailer | "War was never our choice. We were forced into war." Cries From Syria, directed by Evgeny Afineesky, premieres March 13 on HBO. | By HBO Documentary Films | Facebook | KHOLOUD HELMI: Syria is a very ancient, and beautiful country. It's called "The Cradle of Civilization." But, we have been living under dictatorship for 40 years. -(CHEERING) -But we were so optimistic, that the revolution will sooner or later, start in Syria. They wrote: "It's your turn, Doctor," because Bashar al-Assad was trained as a doctor. HADI AL ABDULLAH: But anyone who talk about him, he will just disappear, or he will die. -(GUNFIRE) -KHOLOUD: It was horrible. It started the revolution all over Syria. More than half a million people joined the demonstrations. BASHAR AL-ASSAD: Our job is to save their lives through destroying the terrorists. (EXPLOSION) KHOLOUD: We demonstrated holding roses, and he called us terrorists. RAED AL SALEH: This regime, they are supposed to protect us. But they are not protecting us. -(TANK FIRES) -They are shooting us. (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) (GIRL SPEAKS IN ARABIC) (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) KHOLOUD: When the Russians got involved, things are getting worse every day. (EXPLOSIONS) (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) KHOLOUD: We Syrians, are the people who are suffering the most from ISIS. (BOY SPEAKS IN ARABIC) (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) There is a group of people who give us hope. A group who are trying to save lives. (MAN SPEAKS IN ARABIC) KHOLOUD: We are not terrorists. We are people like everyone in this world, and we still have dreams. (GIRL SPEAKS IN ARABIC)