video: "checkpoints and more"

2010-03-15

[عر] [de] [es] [it] [fr]
nahr al-bared refugee camp has still not recovered from the devastating war in 2007 during which it was destroyed. the lebanese army has been keeping a tight grip on the camp and the 20.000 displaced palestinians that have returned so far. the army's siege seriously hampers the camp's economic recovery, as access is restricted and the area was declared a military zone. a recent survey found that the army's presence and measures are considered a difficulty by 98 per cent of nahr al-bared's business owners. the army meanwhile justifies its presence as necessary to the preservation of the safety of the people.

this 30-minute film documents various consequences of the siege on nahr al-bared. merchants and artisans explain their specific problems and the UNRWA project manager, a project coordinator of the palestinian-arab women league, the president of nahr al-bared's merchants' committee and a researcher provide their views and thoughts on the issue.

the short documentary can be downloaded here and watched here (part 1/2/3) on youtube.

1/3:


2/3:


3/3:

video: "rapping against post-war misery"

2009-12-17

[عر] [de] [it] [fr] [tr]
mc tamarrod is the first and only rapper in nahr al-bared refugee camp in lebanon. since the destruction of the camp in a war in 2007, mc tamarrod is among 30.000 displaced palestinians. almost 20.000 refugees have returned to the outskirts of the destroyed camp, awaiting its reconstruction and suffering from the lebanese army's siege of the camp.

displacement, temporary housing, checkpoints, humiliation, discrimination... these are the topics that mc tamarrod angrily raps about. inspired by the hip-hop crews katibe 5 and i-voice in beirut's bourj al-barajneh refugee camp and rap groups in palestine such as ramallah underground or DAM, he decided to take up the microphone and let the world beyond the checkpoints know about the situation in nahr al-bared.

this 5 minutes clip features mc tamarrod's latest song and a short interview with the rapper. it can be downloaded here and watched here on youtube or below.

video: "two years under siege"

2009-06-24

[عر] [de] [it] [fr]
two years after the outbreak of the war in nahr al-bared, the camp's fate remains unclear. the reconstruction of the official camp might start soon, but the army keeps its tight grip on the camp. several checkpoints, barbed wire and military posts cut nahr al-bared off from its surroundings.

nahr al-bared camp used to be a thriving marketplace in the northern lebanese region of akkar and about half its costumers were lebanese. during the war, the lebanese army has not only defeated the militant group fatah al-islam, but also completely destroyed the refugee camp. its businesses were looted, smashed and burnt, even after the war had ended. the camp's once flourishing economy was physically eliminated.

two years later, about half the camp's population has returned to its adjacent area. hundreds of businesses have re-opened, but economic recovery is seriously hampered by the tight siege imposed by the lebanese army. thus, suspicions have risen that the war's actual target wasn't fatah al-islam, but nahr al-bared's economic life.

in this 10-minute film, the co-owner of an ice cream factory, the president of the local trader's committee and the imam of the al-quds mosque speak out on the siege and its economic consequences.

the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/316mb) and here (.mov/124mb) in good quality. it can be watched here on youtube or below.

video: "a sip of coffee"

2009-06-11

[عر] [de] [it] [fr] [tr]
in may 2007, the battle between fatah al-islam and the lebanese army broke out in nahr al-bared refugee camp in northern lebanon. amidst heavy fighting, the lebanese army had systematically destroyed the entire camp by september 2007. two years later, nearly all the rubble has been cleared from the "old camp", the core of nahr al-bared. however, though the displaced residents grow increasingly desperate, reconstruction has yet to begin.

not only does the lebanese army keep people away from the old camp, but it also controls movement in and out of the surrounding area known as the "new camp.” anyone entering the new camp requires a valid permit issued by the army. refugees and NGOs working to revitalize the once robust economy of the camp face crippling isolation, as the marketplace of nahr al-bared is totally cut off from the surrounding villages. a flailing economy and soaring unemployment are only a few of the consequences of the destruction and ongoing siege of the camp.

this 26-minute film follows a father and his son as they attempt to deal with their unemployment. the two have been living in metal barracks for more than a year, waiting to return to their camp. by documenting issues of reconstruction, temporary housing, economy, unemployment and despair, the film touches on the daily experience of life in nahr al-bared camp.

the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/804mb) and here (.mov/313mb) in good quality. it can be watched here (part 1/2/3) on youtube or below.

part 1:


part 2:


part 3:

video: "protest against barracks"

2009-05-18

[عر] [de] [es] [fr]
on 15 may 2009, several hundred residents of the destroyed nahr al-bared refugee camp in north lebanon gathered at the al-quds mosque to march along the army posts to a construction site in the south of the camp. there, yet another piece of land was flattened and the building of the fifth unit of temporary shelters for displaced families is being prepared.

in their chants, the protesters demanded the return to the old camp and the end of the siege on nahr al-bared and the abolishment of the permit system respectively. abu tayyeb of the residents' committee demanded the immediate stop of the building of the new barracks as long as the reconstruction in the old camp wouldn't start. he further criticized corruption and nepotism in the reconstruction process and asked why the rebuilding of the old camp is constantly being delayed. he hinted at intentions to actually not rebuild the camp and told the crowd: „the laying of the foundation stone on 9 march was nothing but a lie!“

the 2-minute video can currently only be watched here on youtube or below.

video: "transitions"

2008-11-05

[عر] [de] [es] [it] [fr]
more than a year after their homes were destroyed during the battle between the lebanese army and the militant islamist group fatah al-islam, the majority of the refugees from nahr al-bared in north lebanon find themselves in a difficult situation. not able to return to their homes, stuck in pre-fabricated housing units and often unemployed, many of them feel frustrated and hopeless, only sometimes seeing a glimmer of hope.

being subjected to aid organizations and external political decisions, many refugees have started to critizice the humanitarization of their political problem and voice opposition to the politics of humanitarian aid.

this short film, produced in october 2008, documents the experiences and thoughts of several young residents of nahr al-bared camp, as they talk about current developments in the camp and about their personal situation.
the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/594mb) and here (.mov/226mb) in good quality. it can be watched here (part 1/2) on youtube or below.

part 1:


part 2:

video: "between past and present"

2008-10-15

[عر] [de] [es] [it] [fr]
one year has passed since the first palestinians were allowed to return to the outskirts of the destroyed nahr al-bared refugee camp, to the so-called "new camp". meanwhile, up to 15.000 people have resettled there, many of them waiting to access their destroyed homes in the "old camp", the core of what used to be nahr al-bared camp. the lebanese army still exclusively controls the old camp as well as parts of the new camp.

nahr al-bared camp used to be an economic center in the north of trablous. although the first shops and companies have reopened in nahr al-bared, they struggle with difficult economic conditions such as the siege of the camp.

this 16-minute film was produced in a small workshop in the camp. it deals with the current developments in nahr al-bared, focusing on economic aspects and on reconstruction.
the film can be downloaded here (.mpeg/537mb) and here (.mov/246mb) in good quality. it can be watched here (part 1/2) on youtube or below.

part 1:


part 2:

video: "cleaning up"

2008-06-25

[de] [it] [fr]
the first few hundred palestinian families were allowed to return to their destroyed or damaged homes at the outskirts of nahr al-bared camp in winter 2007/08. they faced a very difficult situation. many of them lost their homes and most of their property was either destroyed or stolen.
this short video documents the refugee's experiences once they returned to their camp and their efforts to deal with their new reality.

for security reasons, only an anonymized version of the film is published. it can be downloaded here (.mpeg/247mb) and here (.mov/109mb) in good quality. also, it can be watched here on youtube or below.

video: "writings on the walls"

2008-05-22

[de] [es] [it] [fr]
this short film documents many racist, sexist, humiliating and insulting graffiti that lebanese soldiers had written on the walls of the houses in the destroyed palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared.
while many graffiti are directed against the non-palestinian islamist militant group fatah al-islam and its leader shaker al-abssi, others address the palestinian refugees. in some cases, the destruction of the camp is portrayed as a revenge for massacres committed by palestinian militias in the lebanese civil war.

the graffiti can be understood as instruments of psychological warfare and as an additional method regarding the political strategy of the lebanese army to demoralize the refugees and keep them from returning to their destroyed camp. however, the graffiti also illustrate the frustrations and personal attitudes of the soldiers during the fighting. almost 200 soldiers were killed in the 3-month battle.
as a reaction to related reports in the lebanese media, the army has covered many sprayings and drawings with paint.

this 7-minute film was produced in winter 2007/08. also in the houses that the military has handed back to their owners in spring 2008, such graffiti can be found.

for security reasons, only an anonymized version of the film is published. it can be downloaded here (.mpeg/235mb) and here (.mov/86mb) in good quality. also, it can be watched here on youtube or below.

video: "traces of collective dispossession"

2008-05-01

[de] [es] [it] [fr] [tr]
on march 31st 2008, the lebanese army made 20 houses in majles street in the destroyed palestinian refugee camp of nahr al-bared accessible. all 20 buildings had signs of burning. often, entire rooms or even floors were completely burnt. at least in 16 houses, traces of flammable liquids could be found on the walls.

from the official end date of the fighting in early september 2007 until march 30th 2008, all of majles street was under the exclusive control of the lebanese army. the amount of looting, arson and intentional destruction in majles street and in nahr al-bared camp in general point to a systematic collective dispossession of the camp's residents by the lebanese army.

the lebanese army has so far strongly forbidden any filming or photographing in nahr al-bared. the army, its secret service and local collaborators make sure that nobody breaks this unwritten law.

the 10-minute film documents the mentioned accusations in detail. it can be downloaded here (.mpeg/329mb) and here (.mov/125mb) in good quality. also, it can be watched here on youtube or below.