It’s been a little over 2 years since the world was devastated by the image of the lifeless body of a toddler washed ashore. Aylan Kurdi along with his brother were some of the youngest Syrian refugees fleeing their war-torn country, attempting to make their way to the Greek island of Kos. However, their already overcrowded boat capsized and killed many of the young ones on board including Aylan.

b’Source: Reuters’

To mark the second anniversary of this great tragedy, renowned novelist Khaled Hosseini wrote this short film Sea Prayer which truly captures the horror of seeing a paradise turned into hell. Being narrated in the form of a letter from a father to a son, the film brings a sense of intimate horror with itself. 

Collaborating with UNCHR and The Guardian, the author of books like Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, came up with this film appropriately illustrated an animated feature in the 360 format giving us a VR version of the transformation of Syria.

The film is powerfully poignant, and Hosseini’s words make the experience more painfully lived.