Tuesday marks a grim anniversary, but members of Congress and the makers of the film “Salam Neighbor” want to make sure people don’t forget it.  

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., is hosting a screening of the documentary about the Syrian civil war and its humanitarian crisis on Monday at the Capitol Visitor Center, one day before the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict. Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., is a special guest at the event, which includes a panel discussion with directors Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, and producers Salam Darwaza and Mohab Khattab. To make the film, Temple and Ingrasci lived for four weeks in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, focusing their narrative on five refugees: a 10-year-old Syrian boy, Raouf; Ghoussoon, a former nurse and mother of three in her 30s; Ghassem, an international relief worker in his 40s; Um Ali, a grandmother in her 50s; and Ismail, student in his late 20s. All fled Syria and have resided in Za’atari for years.  

Lieu has hosted screenings of the film before, including one back home in California at the Arena Cinema Hollywood. “Salam Neighbor” was also an official selection at last year’s AFI Docs Film Festival in Washington.  

“On a subject too often discussed in terms of numbers, Zach and Chris capture the human element of one of the greatest refugee crises of this generation,” Lieu said in a statement.  

In addition to the screening and panel discussion, the event will feature a virtual reality exhibit that places people in the midst of life in the camps. It all starts at 5:30 on Monday at the CVC. It’s free, but those going should please register on Eventbrite .  

Contact Dick at jasondick@rollcall.com and follow him on Twitter at @jasonjdick.

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