Dr. Samier Aljaber
One of the pioneers of cinematography and television photography in the Arab world, with an academic and artistic career spanning more than five decades.
He holds a PhD in Cinematic Arts from the Higher Institute of Cinematic Arts (VGIK) in Moscow, after earning a Master’s degree in cinematography and television photography from the same institute.
He currently serves as a professor and Head of the Film Directing Unit at the Faculty of Fine Arts – Drama Department at the private Arab International University in Damascus.
He held prestigious academic roles at several Arab universities, including the Arab International University, the University of Jordan, Amman Al-Ahliyya University, Yarmouk University, and Al-Fateh University in Libya.
He also worked as a lecturer and supervisor at the Arab Center for Radio and Television Training affiliated with the League of Arab States.
He contributed to training and qualifying technical cadres in multiple Arab countries, including Yemen, Djibouti, Libya, and Jordan, and participated in developing educational television programs in cooperation with the Syrian Ministry of Education.
He also led specialized training courses in digital cinematography, lighting, editing, and special effects across academic and media institutions.
He authored several reference books in cinematography and television photography, including: The Art of Cinematography, Cinematic and Television Lighting, Television Cameras, and Digital Cinematography and Television Photography.
He has also published research on topics such as Japanese cinema, myth and the screen, and the expressive potentials of the cinematic scene, among others.
Professionally, he contributed to cinematography and lighting management for more than 70 television and film works, including well-known titles such as “Al-Jawarih,” “Maraya,” “Ghawar’s Empire,” and “Al-Mu’amara.”
He received appreciation and creativity awards at Arab and international festivals, including the First Creative Appreciation Award at the Cairo Television Films Festival in 1995.
He participated in international film conferences and seminars in Moscow, Berlin, Tashkent, Leipzig, Cairo, and elsewhere, representing Syrian Arab Television in many of them, including a 1995 League of Arab States seminar on children’s films.
He is considered an influential figure in developing Arab film education and a key academic and professional reference in cinematography and directing, combining technical expertise, aesthetic vision, and commitment to training new generations of image makers.
