Why We Speak: Help Spread Refugee Stories

Our continued efforts to document the atrocities suffered by Syrian refugees are culminating in our upcoming feature documentary Beyond the Borders. We are busy editing the film for release in early 2016. Our team, Sophia and Georgia Scott, returned from Akkar refugee camp in Syria 10 days ago with compelling and disturbing footage of raids, injustices, fear and hope. Lebanese authorities are becoming increasingly hostile towards refugees as fear of ISIS cells establishing in camps grows. One of the Syrian subjects of the film gave birth to a healthy baby boy in her refugee camp in Lebanon. The cries of her newborn baby tug at our hearts while we witness scenes of utter desolation and the rubble that is her parents’ former home in Syria. We are thrilled to be close to bringing these stories to light.

This past May, Afghan-born American novelist Khaled Hosseini traveled to Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp with UNHCR to bear witness to the realities of the Syrian conflict. Writing in his reflection for New Statesman he began,

“Some things are simply too big to be taken in all at once. Raise your eyes one night to the sky, to the blackness sprayed with millions of stars, and try seeing all of it, the whole sky. It can’t be done. It overwhelms. The best you can do is to fix on a star or two and imagine the sheer vastness of the heavens through them. Sometimes, what you can’t grasp as a whole, you can picture through its parts. The same could be said about human suffering.”

With a stroke of his pen, Hosseini put into eloquent words the challenges human rights advocates and humanitarian organizations face when attempting to engage the public on mass atrocities.

This summer marks the fourth year of the Syria’s civil war. Estimates suggest 7.6 million Syrians are internally displaced and close to 4 million are living as refugees. These numbers are critical indicators of the magnitude of this humanitarian disaster. They are cold hard facts– easy to memorize and appealing to the human mind, which seeks to apply order and understanding to a tragedy, the reality of which is too catastrophic for us to truly comprehend. In quantifying human tragedy, however, we lose sight of the problem at the most basic and universal human level.

In early 2014, 3 Generations set out for Jordan to film the stories of Syrian refugees living in and around Amman. Our mission was to give a human face to the tragedy of Syria’s civil war. Our efforts resulted in three beautiful stories which are available for viewing on our website. In 2015, we are continuing our efforts to share the individual stories of Syrians and those tirelessly working to bring peace to the region. 3 Generations has partnered with GroundTruth Productions to produce a new film titled, Beyond the Borders. Set along the borders of Syria and Lebanon, Beyond the Borders will follow the efforts of German Professor, Friedrich Bokern as he builds a new model for peace. The film, shot by Georgia and Sophia Scott, will follow Bokern as he fights against the spread of terrorism, for human rights and education for all. Entwined in Bokern’s story are the intimate journeys of four Syrian refugees battling to overcome the torment of their shattered lives.

As a small nonprofit, our ability to create great films depends on the generosity of our donors and fans. With your support we can ensure these stories are heard. Join 3 Generations today and help us bring attention to the plight of Syria’s refugees.