In late 2015, all eyes are on Syria as the U.S. mulls next steps, Russia’s involvement intensifies and tens of thousands of refugees continue to flee the war-torn country for Europe. Veteran FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith (Obama at War, The Rise of ISIS) makes a dangerous and revealing journey into government-controlled areas of Syria as the war escalates, revealing what life is like for those who are left behind.

As ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and Western-backed rebels continued to push forward, Smith sat down with regime supporters and officials who defend Bashar al-Assad’s actions and insist that his leadership will save the country. As Smith sees firsthand, the regime’s PR efforts are sometimes surreal— including launching a “Summer in Syria” marketing campaign with art fairs, film festivals and fashion shows, even as ISIS overran the ancient city of Palmyra. In the meantime, ordinary Syrians—some seven million of whom have been internally displaced by the ongoing fighting—remain caught in the crosshairs of the crisis, hoping for safety and security. Inside Assad’s Syria is a raw and rarely-seen glimpse at both the Assad regime’s efforts to hold onto power, and the realities of everyday life in the middle of the deepening crisis.