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"Twice Upon a Time" is the title of a film in production by Lebanese director Niam Itani.
The film sheds light on the hardships of refuge of Syrian children. The filmmaker used her
personal experience of displacement when she left Beirut with her family to the village
of Ghazzeh during the Lebanese Civil War --where she spent most of her childhood years.
Through the story of Khalil, a Syrian child who also took refuge in Ghazzeh
the filmmaker hopes to provide more understanding and awareness
about children refugees and to provide more psychological and material support for them.
From San Francisco, Niam Itani, the director of "Twice Upon a Time" joins us.
Niam, was it only your personal experience that made you go on this cinematic adventure?
Good Evening, Ghada. Good Evening everybody. The truth is that I started from my personal
journey and the idea was to tell my story, so there was a "Once Upon a Time" and through
it the story of children of Lebanon. We are a lot of generations who grew up during the
civil war, but when the trouble started in Syria and refugees started to come in, I started
seeing other children --we are now grown ups- but I was seeing children having to go through
the same thing and it was very difficult for me.
Yes and that is what the "Twice" comes for in the title.
The children of Lebanon and the children of Syria. - Correct
But the comparison here, is it valid? It is true that Lebanese children suffered, but
for the Syrian children they have been thrown out of their country. The Lebanese children
weren't thrown out to Jordan or Turkey or Syria or on the borders. Isn't the Syrian
situation more bitter?
We as Lebanese many people have had to immigrate, and maybe we didn't have to leave the country
and were running away inside Lebanon, but I think for a little child --
But no camps were built, if you visit the camps on the borders, Al Zaatreh, the camps
on the Turkish borders, are you discussing this in your film?
No, the film is the story of two children only but through that we tell the story of
millions of children who don't have to be Syrian or Lebanese. Any child who is forced
to leave their house and school and friends, this is not an easy experience for a kid.
This is not to mention the uglier things. This on its own is very tough. Some people
don't think that it is very hard for a child to be separated from their family, city or
village, all these things.
And having lived it, how difficult is it?
Very difficult. I hope that when these Syrian children grow up, they find it possible to
live in their own country and build it back, and do better than what we did in Lebanon.
We have been through a lot of hardships in Lebanon and we probably couldn't build it
right, I hope that they can find enough support to rebuild their country better than we did.
You cry because you remember your experience or because you don't wish this for anybody?
I sincerely do not wish for any child in the whole world to have to go through circumstances
like the one we had to live through, or the one we see Syrian children go through today,
and I am sure there are other children who have to go through this in the world and nobody
talks about them. I hope no child ever has to go through this.
Inshallah. Thank you very much, Niam Itani, filmmaker of "Twice Upon a Time" --San Francisco.
See you.