WHEN A PANDEMIC BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY

Seven children produce their first film

 
Written by Sarah Abu Al Rob
 
When everything stopped, Malak Salman (16 years) from Jerusalem, moved one step closer to her
dream of becoming a filmmaker by creating her first short film entitled ‘The Shell’. The film reflects
her feelings during the pandemic:” What might happen? Will we be able to leave our houses
soon? Are we going to die because of the virus?” These are some of the questions that Malak put
in her two-minute short film.
 
Malak participated in a talent campus for young filmmakers. The program is a part of the Next
Generation program of Filmlab: Palestine. The program is supported by The Danish House in
Palestine. The Acting Director of Filmlab, Ola Salameh, says: “It included activities aimed at helping
the children recognize and verbalize their feelings and fears during the lockdown and how they
perceive all these changes (the epidemic, the lockdown, news, e-learning...etc). They were guided
by mentors who worked with them to develop their ideas and scripts besides technical refreshing
sessions on cinematography, lights, phone applications…”
 
Malak, Ghazal Alaa, Emilia Massou, Nour Barghouthi, Taima Franji, and Ghassan Franji say that
they released some of the pandemic stress through this program. “I got to a point where I thought
that the coronavirus only existed in my film, not in reality”, says Ghassan Franji, who worked with
his sister Tayma on a film entitled ‘2 X 2020’ showing their daily quarantine life. “The good thing is
that we became closer to each other in those days,” says Tayma.
 
Nour Barghouthi found another way of relieving the pressure, which was farming around his
house in Kobar village in Ramallah. Thus, he decided to make a film about home gardening entitled
‘Around my Home’. “I have never had the chance to learn acting at school. This is my first
experience”, says Nour who is aspiring to become an actor. “My dad encouraged me to participate
in the program, and I’m glad for making this film with my own efforts,” he says.
 
Due to the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, Mai Alami from Gaza was unable to participate in the
campus, but she attended the online workshop to make a film about her horse ‘Amigo’, that
symbolizes the opposite of the comprehensive system of restrictions on the freedom of
movement in Gaza Strip. Mai says: “My horse is my whole life and horse riding is my own world
where I find myself and fly”. Mai has learned new video techniques as well as how to organize her
ideas and be patient through working on the film. “Working remotely was not easy in the
beginning, but it became smoother with the frequent consultation meetings”, she adds.
 
The project coordinator at Filmlab: Palestine, Christina Zahran says: “It was one of my hardest and
most exciting experiences. Maintaining their concentration was not without effort. Some of them
were fasting during the Ramadan, so we had to work at night. Boys and girls nowadays are
spending hours on their mobiles. We did not take that tool away from them, we just stimulated
them to use it creatively”, she adds.
 
At the end, the children were amazed by their productions and they proudly published them on
social media. “I was eagerly waiting for Filmlab: Palestine posting the film minute by minute”, says
Malak Salman. Mai did not have high expectations: “When I submitted my material, I was not
really impressed with it. But the final version was unbelievably surprising! I kept watching it again
and again.”
 
Watch all 6 short films here:
Amigo
Around My Home
A Very Deep Breath
Zone X
2 x 2020
Shell