Children And War In Yemen: Child Soldiers
Fall Grants 2019 - Production Stage
Mariam Al-Dhubhani / Short Documentary / Yemen, Qatar / 25 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Coming of age, Social Issues, War, Children
Synopsis
Within the Yemeni conflict, child-soldiers have become an integral part of the fighting forces. Children as young as ten-years-old carry guns and stand in checkpoints daily. While the causes of this phenomenon are part of the philosophy of the warring sides, poverty drives many families to send their children not only to checkpoints but also to the frontlines. This documentary aims to follow two child-soldiers, Azmi and Saleh, and document their daily routine, family, surroundings, thoughts, hopes, and dreams. It will focus on the family as a unit and the differences between the two older boys and the younger ones who are not recruited yet. The film also aims to show the perception of the two siblings knowing that their perceived “enemy” is another child of their age who happens to be in the wrong place like them.
Credits
- Director
- Mariam Al-Dhubhani
- Screenwriter
- Mariam Al-Dhubhani
- Producer
- Mohammed Al-Jaberi
About the Director
Mariam Al-Dhubhani is a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist and filmmaker. Al-Dhubhani is currently doing an MA in Museum and Gallery Practice at UCL Qatar. She first pursued her passion for media during the 2011 Arab uprisings and co-founded her first media production. Al-Dhubhani’s films have been screened globally in festivals such as Carthage, Interfilm, and Oaxaca. She also utilizes Virtual Reality in highlighting stories from Yemen.