Let’s Play Soldiers
Fall Grants 2019 - Production Stage
Mariam Al-Dhubhani / Short Documentary / Yemen, Qatar / 2021 / 25 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Coming of age, War, Documentary, Youth, Identity
Synopsis
War does not only destroy livelihoods and infrastructure, but it also affects the upcoming generations who feel forced to leave school to join the frontlines. ‘Let’s Play Soldiers’ provides an intimate insight into the life of three brothers who can only find a sufficient source of income to support the family by becoming soldiers. The middle brother, sixteen-year-old Nasser, who left school in the sixth grade, is now working between the frontlines and selling fish. Nasser could end up like his older brother, Adham, 21—who also joined the army when he was 16 and now suffers from PTSD and depression. Whereas ten-year-old Ahmed, the younger sibling, looks up to his older brothers and wants to leave school and become a soldier.
Credits
- Director
- Mariam Al-Dhubhani
- Producer
- Mohammed Al-Jaberi
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.
Contacts
-
Main Contact
Mariam Al-Dhubhani
- Company:
- Qumra Alumni: 'Let's Play Soldiers'
- Email:
- maa6294@u.northwestern.edu