Lights, Camera, Action: Film Week in the Youth Engagement Space
Ritsona youth produce two “award-winning” films — a comedy and a horror — as part of Lighthouse Relief’s YES Film Week.
Earlier this month, residents in Ritsona refugee camp gathered with excitement in front of Lighthouse Relief’s Youth Engagement Space (YES) for a film premiere. They weren’t there for the newest Hollywood blockbuster or latest Scorsese flick, but to support two films proudly produced by Ritsona youth themselves. After many days of seeing these teenagers mysteriously wield a camera while wearing bizarre costumes, it was finally time to reveal what they’d been working on in the space.
The YES movie premiere was the perfect bookend for the programme’s “Film Week” — a series of week-long, hands-on workshops where participants had the opportunity to storyboard, direct and produce their own movies from scratch. The idea for Film Week emerged organically after several youth came forward with a creative idea for a spooky horror film, based on a paranormal experience they had imagined together one evening. Eager to help these youth realize their concept on the big screen, YES staff and volunteers quickly mobilised the resources and manpower needed to run productive filmmaking activities.
“We’re always asking the youth what they are interested in, and what projects we can help them realize. When several of them came to us and showed us their 2- minute “horror film,” shot on their smartphones in the evenings around camp, we were inspired to have a “film week”: an entire week dedicated to the film making process, with a different aspect of filming on each day.” said Hannah Brumbaum, the YES Facilitator.
Film Week kicked off on Monday, 2 October with an informal discussion in the YES on movie genres. After watching trailers from different types of films, youth decided they were actually interested in creating two distinct movies — one horror and one comedy. After a friendly and heated debate on proposed plot lines, youth decided to sleep on their ideas and come ready with a fully fleshed-out storyboard the next morning.
The comedy film team — led by 16 year-old Hamza Almustafah from Syria — arrived bright and early on Tuesday morning to begin filming their movie, “Grandma Comes to Visit.” After transforming Hamza into Granny — the protagonist of the story — the cameras started rolling. Supporting actors improvised quickly as the hilarious Granny began criticising every aspect of her elusive daughter-in-law, from her poor parenting to her messy home. Granny, in comparison, was flawless — with impeccable dance skills to boot. By the end of the film shoot, everyone who bore witness to the skit was rolling on the floor with laughter — a sure sign that the comedy would be a hit.
After seeing how much fun the comedy film shoot had been, the horror team, too, was excited to get started. Beginning on Tuesday and running well into Wednesday afternoon, that team ventured into the surrounding forest of Ritsona camp with their camerawoman — Lighthouse Relief’s Communications Officer — to capture their eerie zombie tale. The concept was simple but bone-chilling: a group of friends get lost in the woods and are forced to stay in an abandoned home overnight, where they encounter a duo of man-eating zombies. After a series of epic fight scenes to show off their parkour skills, only a handful of characters survive — and are found by a group of tourists. “Lost in the Woods” ends with a cliffhanger — that the zombie king still resides in the forest — leaving the audience in anticipation for a sequel.
On Thursday — the eve of the film premiere — everyone worked together to put the final pieces of the two films together. Some youth worked with Lighthouse Relief volunteers to select background music and special effects for the films, while others worked to transform the YES into a cinema, complete with a photo booth, red carpet, film programme, golden awards and many, many, construction paper stars.
“Seeing the enthusiasm, participation and total dedication from the youth made hosting this film week worth every second,” said Daphne Morgen, the YES Manager.
There were only smiles on Friday as youth walked with their new friends down the red carpet to greet their adoring fans — friends, family and neighbours. As popcorn was passed around and the films began to play, voices were hushed — only to be replaced with resounding laughter during the comedy film and mild squeals from children during the horror flick. The roaring applause that followed made the teenagers gush with joy.
When the event was over and the credits rolled to the top of the screen, we were reminded why these activities are so important. The crowd was now filled with new friends, and new ideas for future films were already brimming in circles of discussion. Several participants — now award-winning film stars — instantly copied the films onto their phones and computers to send to friends and relatives relocated abroad. And for a moment, if just for a moment, youth in Ritsona were able to be silly, creative teenagers again — and we couldn’t have been more proud.
