George Clooney is to make a fictional film about the White Helmets – the Syria Civil Defence whose approximate 3,000 volunteers act as first responders in the war-torn country.

Clooney is said to be using as his source Netflix’s documentary short The White Helmets, which was released in September and is on this year’s Oscar shortlist.

Clooney and producing partner Grant Heslov are seeking a writer through their Smokehouse Pictures production company. CAA is representing the rights to the documentary.

The White Helmets, directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and produced by Joanna Natasegara, is on the documentary shorts Oscar shortlist.

The White Helmets, whose work has come to wider attention during the fallout from the civil war that began in 2011, is credited with saving around 60,000 people. The group has lost around 150 of their own members.

“In the White Helmets, we have a motto: to save one life is to save humanity,” says one volunteer in the documentary.

Last year, Clooney told the BBC that he wanted to try and do more to help the people of Syria, but without moving formally into politics. In 2005, the actor won an Oscar for his role as a CIA operative in Syriana, which was set in an unnamed state in the Persian Gulf.

He and producing partner Heslov won the best picture Oscar for Argo in 2012.