On Tuesday morning, Syrian director Hicham Sharbatji passed away at the age of 75 after a battle with illness, as announced by the Syrian Artists Syndicate on their Facebook page. Sharbatji is considered one of the founders of Syrian drama; he was born in Damascus and directed the series "Mirror" with artist Yasser Al-Azmeh until 1991. He also directed several important dramatic works, such as "Secrets of the City," "Our Sweet Days," "Men Under the Fez," "Jurn Al-Shawish," "The Key," "Diaries of a General Manager," "Five-Star Family," and "Spotlight 5."
Hicham Sharbatji had been suffering from serious health issues for a while. This artist carried Syrian comedy through the Dureid and Nihad generations to the peaks of Arab drama, launching countless stars, actors, and writers while stepping back from work four years ago. Notably, in 2021, Sharbatji suffered a health crisis when he had a stroke, after which he was transferred to a hospital in the Syrian capital, Damascus, for treatment.
