Los Angeles - Arab Today
George Clooney is making a film about the White Helmets — the Syria Civil Defense whose approximate 3,000 volunteers act as first responders in the war-torn country.
The actor is said to be in the early development on a feature version of Netflix’s “The White Helmets” documentary, reported Variety.
Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov are seeking a writer through their Smokehouse Pictures production company. CAA is representing the rights to the documentary. “The White Helmets,” directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Joanna Natasegara, is on the documentary shorts Oscar shortlist.
The Syrian Civil Defense, better known as the White Helmets, consists of about 3,000 volunteers.
The organization has has been credited with saving more than 60,000 people from the bombed buildings in war-torn Syria.
The group has lost about 150 members during the war.
“In the White Helmets, we have a motto: to save one life is to save humanity,” one volunteer says in the documentary.
Last year, Clooney told the BBC that he wanted to do more to help the people of Syria, but without moving formally into politics.
Clooney won a best supporting actor Academy Award for his role as a CIA operative in 2005’s “Syriana,” set in an unnamed Arabian Gulf state.
He also exec produced “Syriana” and was a producer with Heslov and Ben Affleck on 2012’s “Argo,” which won the best picture Academy Award. Clooney has been nominated for six other Oscars.
Source: Arab News