Learn how to create and edit a movie: "Life in Palestine"
Thanks to Kwame Philips, Ben Possibly and Lajee Center’s Media Unit, 8 teenagers of Aida Camp had the opportunity to learn how to make a digital story. Nowadays, it is very important to use the technologies as a strenght. That’s why we decided to make a video course during 2 days. We gave the topic’s choices to the teenagers. Directly, they chosen to talk about their lifes’ conditions. The video is nammed “Life in Palestine” to show all about their way of life. The new technologies allow to make the difference in our struggle against the Israelis army’s occupation. Childrens and teenagers are occupied people as all the Palestinians inhabitants. In this consequence, all of them want to resist occupying forces by any and all lawfull means. Kwame Philips was managing the children from the beginning, to help to express themselves, to recording and filming the video. It was a challenge for them to get the self-confidence in front of the camera. We tried to give them creativity, inspiration to guide themselves to be self-sustaining.
Not in the same time, not in the same moment, but all the children of Aida get a story to share us about the attack from the Israelis army. Between 12 and 17 yo, all from different origins villages, they have affected theirs daily days by bombs, arrests, rubbers bullets, tears gas or weapons. Days and nights, in their house, or just in playing soccer, Israeli achieve their freedom. In this video, teenagers accused this violence. In this short movie, we can see that the humans rights are not respected. The Palestinian community have no freedom to get the same rights than the others people all around the world. When a person is shot, they don’t not receive the same care. They are monitored at any time by the watch tower and get the habit to see a member of their family to be arrested in front of their eyes. They are attacked in their private life all day long and also from the nights raids. Even them, they can be arrested because the Israelis army don’t do the difference between a child and an adult.
When you watch this video, you learn more about the life of a Palestinian’s refugee child. It was a double mission for us : to teach how to use a camera and to turn the weakness into strength. In this kind of situation, the camera is powerful.
In Palestine, no matter what the weapon of choice – whether voice, pen or camera – there is a price to be paid for its use. Without them – who are the future generation – if there is no struggle, no progress could come.
As well as, the self-determination of the teenagers is to never give up and don’t forget the hope of a freedom and independent country. This workshop allows to position themselves as critical thinkers and to step back from their situation.
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Ben Possibly was coordinating all the workshop but precisely to learn how to edit the video the second day. He was very helpful to teach children computational thinking and programming skills in a fun and intuitive way. In front and behind the camera, children were curious, were not ashamed to ask questions to learn more and glad to get more knowledges about manage a movie. It was their first time and they did very well! The result shows it. Afterwards, we screened the movie to all the Lajee’s staff members and guest and all of them appreciated it. We would like to gratefully thank to John Cabot University Dept. of Communicaton who coordinated with us this project.