Tiny souls in huge camps

Marwa and her younger sister Ayah and brother Mahmoud live in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. They fled from Syria with their mother and older brothers and sisters.

When filmmaker Dina Naser starts documenting them in 2012, their respective ages are 11, nine and five. The children speak openly with Naser about the horrors they experienced in Syria, but they remain resilient and cheerful.

As the years pass, Naser sometimes loses contact with the family despite her best efforts. But the children continue to film each other with a camera she gave them. An abrupt turn of events at the end of the film reminds us of how precarious life is for this family fleeing war.

The film premiered in 2019, and it was produced and directed by Dina Naser.

The transitions from childhood to society’s expected gender norms are poignantly captured in the film.

Please accept marketing cookies to see this video.


Navigating a changing world: Media´s gendered prism

IMS media reader on gender and sexuality

Gender.reader