NPR

Whatever Happened To ... The Syrian Who Risked His Life And Won An Oscar?

Khaled Khatib captured much of the footage for The White Helmets, an Oscar-winning documentary about search and rescue volunteers in war-torn Aleppo. What's he doing now?
Khaleed Khatib was the videographer for the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary <em>The White Helmets</em>. "This photo was after double tap of aircraft on July 27, 2014," he says, referring to an airstrike followed by another attack. "I don't know how I survived."

When we first spoke to Khaled Khatib, he had just finished working on The White Helmets, a 41-minute Netflix documentary about a group of volunteer rescue workers who were helping those caught in the crossfire of Syria's bloody civil war.

That was last September.

Now 22-year-old Khatib can call himself an Oscar-winning cinematographer.

In February, Khatib watched the Oscar ceremonies from Istanbul — where he is now had come over to watch with him — and promptly fallen asleep. "I shook him and said, 'Fadi wake up, wake up!' and then of course we celebrated," Khatib recalls. "We were so happy."

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
From Pandemic To Protests, The Class Of 2024 Has Been Through A Lot
Pomp and circumstance again fall victim to circumstance for some students in the graduating class of 2024, as protests over the war in Gaza threaten to disrupt commencement ceremonies.
NPR2 min read
Short-term Loss For Long-term Gain? The Ethical Dilemma At The Heart Of EVs
As mines meet mineral demands for electric vehicles, they put communities and ecosystems at risk. Sustainability researcher Elsa Dominish says the EV industry cannot repeat fossil fuel's mistakes.
NPR4 min read
Yes, Apple's New IPad Ad Is Ugly And Crushing, But Art Can't Be Flattened
The newest iPad ad depicts instruments, books and art supplies flattened into Apple's thinnest product ever. But anyone who owns and loves art in any form knows: The practicality isn't the point.

Related Books & Audiobooks