Ibrahim El Batout Train fon Filmmaker in love with his camera He has worked fr 18 years asa documentary film: ‘maker and cameraman, capturing coutless stories about human oss and suffering. We has covered 12.wars including Rwanda, Bosnia, Chechnya, -Aghanitan Palestine and Iraq Recipient ofthe 2003, Rory Peck Award, hehasalso been twice honoured ith the Axel Springer Awardas wellas with the Det Marketing Association's coveted ECHO award Early lestyea, after a gruelling stint in rag, he suddenly decided to put documentary Mlmmaking on old and tured to fiction. The result isthe beautifully lyrical short feature film thaki brahim ELBatout aks about how he got from Ato Kand bak gain. 1Batout looks younger than his 2 yearn his"boye-n thehood"atireand close roppedhair. Aroundhisneck hang geometric symbols, ari sor the madern sect For good measure tbe samemetal shapes adorn his cll phone. "Themesageis energy and lve" explains. Histaesof land war ae aden with symbolism and allegory Heis anata raconteur whoseesthe world through the lens of his camera: the beggar in teste, theface of woman in Bosnia, aphrasespoken ad ft angingin space. started out witha degree in physics rom the American University of Car (AUC) andar graduation landed job with Caro Video The minut saw the ‘camera, was ia oe with er hesay,"Itsthe ony thngthathas been close tome vera these years. Tvechanged places, ve changed hore, veckanged people, but every day see my camera, Shesleepsin thesame room he laughs difidenth Batt seems fond of coneiences, nationsof {at:forhim eis not ner There are pivotal ‘moments nhs history, bsas.that steredhim owards this precarious caret The fist insole is childhood ‘inPodt Said and subsequent stats arefgasin Cairo folowing the 1967 war the second valves acontonta ‘on withanarmedpobceman on13th August 1988, thatled tohisgttingshat. “Something magical happens that bonds people in war situations.” “Ttput etaceto face wth the power of mages and what thay cand More itwas about the elatonsins you bul Issomething you can't get anywhere else Something, mic happens that bonds people in war situations. ‘Atthatmoment Thad achoice It wes 1988, Lwasat the begnningof my caesrand couldeter go on doing video cipsand acal programs orth real tuft“ He chose the real stuf ElBatousfirst assignment asawar documentary ‘immer brought himtsraqatthebeginsngotthe anit wth ran, where he shot footage for aan’ TY andthe URSITNInLebanon where hecollaberated with rent Sader rom, he saw at fisthandtheuter devastation and suring caused by war Bosnia asthe most dangerous asignert hesaysche gol shot thee a secondtime. Inphanistan hecame under: in SriLankahewas withthe Tamil Tigers 1In1991,€1BatoutletCakoand moved Cypus toteamup wi thefrelance reporter Toy Brey. Teir ‘work was inhigh demand they solo Channel [TN and ABC. Then come Bos; Burley lead El Batout stayed, hookingup withthe German teevsion channel 20F, who kethim very busy. It wasthee that hestopped believing that hispictures aul fact change