In The Middle
Spring Grants 2019

Mariam Al-Dhubhani / Short Documentary / Yemen, Qatar / 2019 / 14 min / Colour / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Politics, Biography, Social Issues, War, Youth, Based on a True Story, Creative Documentary
Synopsis
In a rarely seen perspective of war, we follow Ali—a Yemeni soldier on tour in the temporary capital of Aden. Leaving his hopes, dreams, and education behind to join the military, Ali dutifully sits at his checkpoint, performing a mundane task that he is clearly overqualified to do. His story represents the majority of youth in the country, people who are unable to just ‘live’, but instead are forced to continually struggle to survive.
Credits
- Director
- Mariam Al-Dhubhani
About the Director

Mariam Al-Dhubhani is a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist, filmmaker, curator, and educator based in the MENA region. She first pursued her passion for media during the 2011 Arab uprisings and co-founded her first media production. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and one of the first directors to utilize virtual reality to highlight stories from Yemen. She counterviewpoints the mainstream media stereotyping of the region to showcase equality in humanity.
Awards and Festival History
Festivals
"Oaxaca FF 2019 (WP)
Interfilm Int'l Short FF 2019 (Berlin)
MESA FF 2019
San Francisco Arab FF 2019
Carthage FF 2019"
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Mariam Al-Dhubhani
- Company:
- Qumra Alumni: 'Let's Play Soldiers'
- Email:
- maa6294@u.northwestern.edu