dispatches from here

I’ve been getting some comments asking for more frequent and interesting blog posts.  So here is a brief state of the project address.

Ever since I’ve returned from Aleppo a week ago, I’ve been working pretty non-stop on the project.  This has meant lots of interviews, videos, and photos. Afterwards, the we have to convert, translate, and edit videos, sort and edit photos, and try to put some sort of product together.  Its been a very exhausting, full, moving, emotional time so far.  Last night, I watched the first draft of photos with music, and I cried.

Yesterday I went to the home of a woman who fled Iraq 10 months ago.  She sat and told me that her husband had been shot and killed on his way to buy bread in the morning.  Three days later, still grieving and thankfully with not home, armed militia rushed into her empty home to hide from the Americans.  They opened fire on the Americans and in retaliation, a tank destroyed her home. Her son (in his late 20’s) gave me a CD to take and watch when I got home, which turned out to be a grainy cell phone video of her walking through the remains of her burned down home and sobbing.  Then they point to a stately picture of their father high on the bare white wall, looking over the family in his sharp navy suit.  The son asks if I’d like to see more pictures of his father.  Of course I would, expecting vintage family photos.  He returns from the bedroom with a plain white envelope, still sealed.  I ask if I can open it, as it hasn’t been opened since they left Iraq.  I try to carefully open it, but instead make a mess of the envelope and rip part of it open because of the heavy camera under my arm I’m trying to keep from crashing to the floor.  I’m completely shocked when I finally see the pictures, showing his half naked father, dead on a canvas tarp and riddled with bullet holes.  His mother sobs quietly in the background and the son turns away until I’m done.  An absolutely overwhelming experience, a tragic but common story, and a devastating photo.

I’ve decided not to post any project related photos until it is complete.  I may post some stories, but I’m now totally focused on getting the project done, done right, and done soon. As far as photos go, I’ll keep posting some of the more trivial trip related photos.

The current plan is another week in Damascus, then a week in Eastern Syria.  By then, Adam and I are hoping to have a complete video done will hopefully take a break to Lebanon and then back to Jordan before I fly home.

The church overlooking Amman

On Monday, I had the opportunity to meet some extremely dedicated individuals who through years of hard work have been able to dramatically change the lives of many Christian refugees from Iraq, both Assyrian and Armenian. I got here through the help of Nuri Kino, an Assyrian-Swedish journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Sweden. In 2007 he wrote an absolutely chilling piece about the status of Christian refugees in Jordan titled, “By God: Six Days In Amman”. And because he is a far better writer than I am, I strongly urge you to read the article. I contacted him for help with my project and he put in touch with Hanna Shamoun, one of the church elders and community leaders devoted to helping the refugees here in Amman.

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