Screening in Al Aroub Camp

(c) Anne Paq/Voices beyond walls, 29 July 2010, Al Aroub

We had a fantastic screening of the final films, together with one short from Gaza.
Around 200 persons attended!

al Aroub day 13

(c) Anne Paq/Voicesbeyondwalls.org

editing!

al Aroub day 11

(c) Anne Paq/Voicesbeyondwalls.org


1- Review of the shots
2- review of the shots in editing room.
3, 4 and 5- finishing shooting scenes.

Day 10- Al Arub

(c) Anne Paq/Voicesbeyondwalls.org, Al Aroub, 15.07.2010

Shooting day...

Day 9 - Al Aroub

Photos by Madeleine.

Critical Minds at Al Aroub Workshop

Each day after lunch we show one or two films from previous workshops and ask the Al Aroub youth for their comments. In the program’s first few days most of the kids’ responded with “helwa,” or “kiteer helwa” (beautiful/nice). They answered similarly during end-of-the-day check-ins we held to find out how everyone felt. In the past two days, however, the kids’ critical eyes and voices have started appearing. Today after the four small groups completed their initial storyboards, the larger group held critical discussions about the messages of each story and whether the plot contained a beginning, middle, and end. The stories focused on disabilities, the right to return, children collaborating with Israeli soldiers, and the gate to the camp, through which the Israeli army can prevent youth from attending school. We’ll be excited to see how the films are transformed and brought to life as the kids hammer out scripts and production plans and start shooting tomorrow!

Day 7- Al Aroub

(c) Anne Paq/Voicesbeyondwalls.org

1 and 2- Imagine walking on a thin rope over a cliff
3- Story circle
4- Write 5 things you love, 5 things you hate
5- the Human knot.

Day 5- Al Aroub

(c) Anne Paq/Voicesbeyondwalls.org

1 and 2- Warm up drama exercises
3- Kara explains exercise of forum theater
4- Kids act out
5- Ice-breaking game

Day 3, Al-Aroub photo-montage

Survival Instinct

You could spot the bullying walk a mile away. Mohammad was pushing and tugging at other boys all morning. In the afternoon adult Mohammad, one of the Aroub facilitators led a game of musical islands: The youth walk around until the drum beat stops. When it does everyone must stand on the large sheets of paper laid on the floor. Sheets are taken away as the game moves on, meaning less spaces are available on which to stand. During the game, young Mohammad’s skulking gait turned to a rhythmic jaunt as he led the group in clapping to the beat. When the drum stopped, his formerly aggressive exchanges with other boys were swapped for clinging grasps to maintain balance on the progressively smaller islands. The other children, who had been shy in the morning’s warm-up also forgot their physical boundaries, as they got swept up by their instinct to stay on the paper and in the game.

Through their camera lenses, the kids in Voices Beyond Walls are encountering the world and transforming their perspective, but it’s in the teamwork and play involved in making digital stories that they encounter each other and transform their relationships.

Day 2-Al Aroub Community and Aerial Mapping

Photos by Claire Wright