The Syrian Cosmonaut

This is the story of Muhammed Faris, the first Syrian to go to outer space. He is forced to flee his country, as his ideas for a free Syria make him a target.

Charles Emir Richards

He was born in 1969 in San Francisco to a Turkish mother and American father, growing up between two countries. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design with honors in film. He worked in the Los Angeles film industry doing camera and lighting work as well as 2nd unit directing until 1997, when he started directing. Later he began directing commercials, which he continued to do till the present, earning several national and international honors with his work. Until recently he was working on documentary projects, including No One, an award winning story of a Syrian sniper that utilizes traditional Turkish shadow puppets. The Syrian Cosmonaut is his latest documentary effort that combines interviews and documentary footage with Turkish miniature art.