Rethink Rebuild Society recently hosted a highly successful screening of The Textile Generation, a captivating one-hour documentary that brought the forgotten history of Manchester's Syrian textile traders to light. Held on Saturday, 10 October, the event drew an engaged crowd eager to explore the deep historical roots of the UK’s second-biggest Syrian community. Directed by British-Syrian filmmaker Haya Altamimi and co-produced by academic experts Dr. Ann-Christin Zuntz and Dr. Alessandro Columbu, the film beautifully charted the journey of Jewish and Muslim Syrian merchants who settled in "Cottonopolis" between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. Attendees were treated to exclusive footage and intimate interviews detailing how these early families not only shaped the city's global textile trade but also co-founded lasting local institutions like the Didsbury Mosque and the Manchester Jewish Museum.
Following the screening, the evening concluded with a remarkably informative group discussion and Q&A session featuring both the filmmakers and several individuals who participated in the documentary. The conversation delved into complex, nuanced topics, with the film's participants sharing personal reflections on the challenges of community engagement and navigating a dual identity in the UK. The audience engaged deeply with these first-hand accounts, which bridged the historical narrative of the early merchant families with the modern experiences of their descendants. This vibrant and open exchange of ideas highlighted the deep cultural complexities of the Syrian-British experience, transforming the evening into a powerful, multi-generational dialogue on heritage, belonging, and identity.
