More than a Film

KIDS OF JENIN CAMP is not only a documentary film …

… KIDS OF JENIN CAMP is a long term social project.

We started this film in 2013 following ten kids; five boys and five girls, from Jenin Refugee Camp in Palestine. We filmed them in their daily lives and listened to them while they talked about their hopes, dreams and fears.

Our goal is to find out what impacts the harsh and inhumane living conditions of the camp might have on the emotional, mental as well as physical development of these kids.

The Kids of Jenin Camp are exemplary for millions of children worldwide who suffer from ongoing conflicts.

How it all began

While Ismael Jabarine was working for Cinema Jenin, he had the chance to visit Jenin Refugee Camp. As a Palestinian, visiting a refugee camp in his homeland for the first time ever, he was shocked by the scarce living conditions that he was confronted with.

Driven by curiosity, he used to spend most of his free time in the camp. Soon, Ismael began to develop a deep respect for the people living there.

But what touched and impressed Ismael the most were the little kids playing in the dirty narrow alleys.

When he walked through the camp with his camera, the kids used to run after him, begging to be photographed. Day after day, Ismael went to meet them, spending countless hours talking to them and listening to their personal stories. During these conversations, he often had to suppress his tears, being moved as a person, as a journalist, and as a father of two.

Back to Hamburg, Ismael was not able to forget what he had experienced in Jenin Camp. Indeed, the encounter with the camp’s children had left him deeply impressed.

It did not take long for Ismael to return to the camp to start working on this documentary film. He did not want to accept that those kids could be left alone with their trauma and pain.