Eight years on, Syrians remember actress May Skaf
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Thursday marks the eighth anniversary of the death of Syrian actress May Skaf, who died in the French capital, Paris, in 2018 at the age of 49 after suffering a severe brain hemorrhage.
Skaf became widely known not only for her artistic career but also for her opposition to the former Syrian government after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011. She took part in demonstrations following the events that began in Daraa governorate and was arrested several times
Following her final detention in 2013, Skaf left Syria for Jordan before settling in France, where she remained until her death.
Born in Damascus’ al-Muhajireen neighborhood on April 13, 1969, Skaf once described her childhood home as “poor but rich in love, culture, creativity and patriotism.”
She studied French literature at the University of Damascus and launched her acting career in cinema with the 1991 film Saheel al-Jihat. Her final film appearance was Sarab in 2017.
Throughout her career, Skaf also appeared in several acclaimed television dramas and stage productions, including Al-Ababid and Omar, becoming one of Syria’s well-known actresses.
In 2004, she founded the Teatro Institute for Performing Arts, offering an alternative to the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts’ dominance of theatrical education in Syria.
According to media reports, the institute was later closed by the Syrian government’s security services after the outbreak of the Syrian conflict.
In one interview, Skaf recalled that when an officer asked her during her detention in Damascus what she wanted, she replied: “I don’t want my son to be ruled by Bashar al-Assad’s son.”
Two days before her death, Skaf wrote on her Facebook account: “I will not lose hope, I will not lose hope. This is the great Syria, not Assad’s Syria.”