With funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO), UNRWA has released a 24 minute video documentary on the Palestinian refugee experience in Lebanon by filmmaker Philippe Bajjaly. The film follows the experiences of Omar, a young man living in Burj al-Barajneh camp, through his interactions with his Lebanese and Palestinian friends. It doesn’t shy away from highlighting the negative and discriminatory aspects of Lebanese government policy, the range of Lebanese public attitudes (including ignorance, fear, and outright hostility to the Palestinian presence), or the degree of camp segregation (and self-segration) from Lebanese society.
The video’s brief coverage of Nakba Day commemorations at the Israeli border and Omar’s brief emphasis on the right of return might set off some in the anti-UNRWA crowd, but it clearly represents a faithful representation of refugee attitudes.
The video can be found on YouTube in three parts (below). It is well done, and well worth watching.
Very good video, I really wish it was true that all Lebanese lived in the way that the film portrays in those tall buildings opposite the Marina. Very important feature of the film is that it portrays Palestinian refugees as normal people.
Reblogged this on frivillig i Libanon.