Uploaded March 2011 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Children of Shatila. A Film by Mai Masri.
More than 350,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, 15,000 of them in the refugee camp of Shatila in Beirut. Through the eyes of two children who live in this camp, Issa and Farah, this documentary explores the determination to keep family and dreams thriving in a landscape that has been sculpted by war, poverty, grief and displacement.
Issa, a little boy who lives with his grandfather, sustained severe injuries when he was hit by a speeding car and has trouble learning in school. Farah lives with her parents and two sisters. The children's memories and history are shaped by the violence that surrounds them. Both have lost family in the massacres and attacks that followed the 1948 Diaspora and the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by the Israeli occupation regime. An aunt was decapitated, an uncle shot — every family and friend they know has lost someone to the violence.
The filmmaker gives Issa and Farah a small video camera to film their lives and learn how they see their own world. Both children start asking their elders how they felt about leaving Palestine. When queried about what he wants to tell the new generation of Palestinians, an old man asks that Palestine must never be forgotten. "Promise me that," he tells the children.
The poverty of Shatila offers little escape. Farah's mother says that when her children tell her their dreams she feels "awkward and afraid to shock them with the truth," and wonders about the kind of future that lies ahead. Yet both children inspire viewers with their ability to keep their hearts and minds open. Farah tells a nursery class, "Imagining is the main thing, even if you only draw a bird." And Issa has a wonderful dream where he is a prince.
While the focus is on the lives of children, this documentary is not suitable for younger children. It is appropriate for mature young adults, and university and community audiences interested in learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, life in the refugee camps, and the lasting effects of war.
Released in 1998.
About the Director:
MAI MASRI is a palestinian filmmaker who has directed and produced many award winning films that have been broadcast on more than 100 television stations around the world. She earned her Bachelor's degree in film from San Francisco State University and together with her husband, filmmaker JEAN CHAMOUN produced a series of films that have won over international awards.
thechildrenofshatila.com
Re-Uploaded from Eve2020's Channel.
youtube.com/user/Eve2020
Children of Shatila. A Film by Mai Masri.
More than 350,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, 15,000 of them in the refugee camp of Shatila in Beirut. Through the eyes of two children who live in this camp, Issa and Farah, this documentary explores the determination to keep family and dreams thriving in a landscape that has been sculpted by war, poverty, grief and displacement.
Issa, a little boy who lives with his grandfather, sustained severe injuries when he was hit by a speeding car and has trouble learning in school. Farah lives with her parents and two sisters. The children's memories and history are shaped by the violence that surrounds them. Both have lost family in the massacres and attacks that followed the 1948 Diaspora and the 1982 invasion of Lebanon by the Israeli occupation regime. An aunt was decapitated, an uncle shot — every family and friend they know has lost someone to the violence.
The filmmaker gives Issa and Farah a small video camera to film their lives and learn how they see their own world. Both children start asking their elders how they felt about leaving Palestine. When queried about what he wants to tell the new generation of Palestinians, an old man asks that Palestine must never be forgotten. "Promise me that," he tells the children.
The poverty of Shatila offers little escape. Farah's mother says that when her children tell her their dreams she feels "awkward and afraid to shock them with the truth," and wonders about the kind of future that lies ahead. Yet both children inspire viewers with their ability to keep their hearts and minds open. Farah tells a nursery class, "Imagining is the main thing, even if you only draw a bird." And Issa has a wonderful dream where he is a prince.
While the focus is on the lives of children, this documentary is not suitable for younger children. It is appropriate for mature young adults, and university and community audiences interested in learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, life in the refugee camps, and the lasting effects of war.
Released in 1998.
About the Director:
MAI MASRI is a palestinian filmmaker who has directed and produced many award winning films that have been broadcast on more than 100 television stations around the world. She earned her Bachelor's degree in film from San Francisco State University and together with her husband, filmmaker JEAN CHAMOUN produced a series of films that have won over international awards.
thechildrenofshatila.com
Re-Uploaded from Eve2020's Channel.
youtube.com/user/Eve2020
