Theo Who Lived

Released Oct 7, 2016

1h 26m

Documentary

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83%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

40%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

In the late fall of 2012, Theo Padnos, a struggling American journalist, slipped into Syria to report on the country's civil war and was promptly kidnapped by Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Because he spoke fluent Arabic, his captors suspected he worked for the CIA and, for months, brutally tortured him during interrogation sessions. But his fluency, coupled with his remarkable personal expansiveness, also led to an extraordinary engagement with, and understanding of, his captors.

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G. Allen Johnson

San Francisco Chronicle

Basically we have an 86-minute documentary that's virtually a monologue by Padnos of his experiences.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 15, 2016

Full Review

John DeFore

Hollywood Reporter

Though no apologist for the Al Qaeda faction that kidnapped him in Syria in 2012, Padnos's rueful and sympathetic storytelling exhibits the kind of cultural understanding that drew him to the region in the first place.

Nov 4, 2016

Full Review

Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

Schisgall's interviews with her enrich the portrait of Padnos, but it's the journo's open gaze and natural inquisitiveness, his refusal to merely demonize his abusers, that give the film its discomforting power.

Oct 21, 2016

Full Review

Erin Blackwell

Bay Area Reporter

David Schisgall has directed this film with grace and eloquence, letting Theo tell it his way, in a site-specific reenactment that is itself a bit adventurous.

Jun 9, 2020

Full Review

Julia Raban

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

[Theo] Padnos is sometimes calm and philosophical, sometimes impassioned and enraged.

Aug 21, 2017

Full Review

Sherilyn Connelly

SF Weekly

Fitfully interesting.

Dec 15, 2016

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Audience Member

Not only does Theo retell his story with such animated detail, he is articulate, socially intelligent and incredibly mentally strong and this is what ultimately saved him in my opinion. I think he is brilliant and he has an amazing story to tell. If you want to know what it's really like over there, then you must check out this documentary. I'm going to watch it again ❤️❤️❤️

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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David Schisgall

Director

Theo Padnos

Actor

David Schisgall

Writer

Amanda Branson Gill

Producer

Evgenia Peretz

Executive Producer

Dan Cogan

Executive Producer

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Theo Who Lived: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In the late fall of 2012, Theo Padnos, a struggling American journalist, slipped into Syria to report on the country's civil war and was promptly kidnapped by Al Qaeda's branch in Syria. Because he spoke fluent Arabic, his captors suspected he worked for the CIA and, for months, brutally tortured him during interrogation sessions. But his fluency, coupled with his remarkable personal expansiveness, also led to an extraordinary engagement with, and understanding of, his captors.

Director: David Schisgall
Producer: Evgenia Peretz, Dan Cogan
Screenwriter: David Schisgall
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.3K
Runtime: 1h 26m

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