Ground Zero: Syria

Ground Zero: Syria is a compiled photojournalist and videographer Robert King's footage into a series of raw, largely unedited vignettes that present a snapshot of the ancient city as it crumbles and burns while its citizens are killed indiscriminately. Amid a fierce battle between Assad's security forces and Free Syrian Army insurgents, fire swept through the old Souk of Aleppo, a historic covered market and World Heritage site. Rebel fighters and activists have reported that the blaze was sparked by the use of incendiary mortar rounds by Assad's forces. The atrocities and war crimes currently ripping Syria apart are evident inside a field hospital in Aleppo, the country's largest city. Inside the hospital exhausted doctors indiscriminately treat civilians, members of the Free Syrian Army, and captured Syrian Army troops alike. Every day the men, women, and children, must risk their lives to stand in line and hope that they can buy a kilo of bread to survive another day. Many of the bread factories have been destroyed amid fighting between the Free Syrian Army and Assad's troops. The few that remain are staffed by brave souls who risk their lives every day to ensure the local population has basic sustenance. During his time in Syria throughout much of 2012, videographer Robert KIng followed Aleppo's Al-Tawhid Brigade as he dodged bullets and rocket fire to learn more about the largest brigade of the Free Syrian Army.