Enas Yaqoub, known by her preferred name “Al Mo’neseh”, meaning “comforting”, is a 23-year-old Jordanian who is on a mission to inspire change in her community, through her new community talk show. Enas’s resilience, determination, and strong, opinionated character have propelled her toward her goal of shifting perspectives and amplifying untold stories within her community.
“Where I live, youth don’t believe in themselves, they don’t believe they have the means to change their realities,” Enas said. Guided by here motto, “Where there’s a will there’s a way”. Enas has been determined to prove otherwise. Enas explained that youth’s attention span has decreased these days; she figured that the best way to grab their attention is through meaningful videos that resonate with their reality, and she wanted to enhance her skills to be able to create strong videos.
Enas joined Generations For Peace (GFP) Filmi Programme in August 2023, motivated to learn more about the filmmaking industry, eager to fulfil her dream of hosting her first-ever show on social media channels.
“I joined Filmi Programme to learn more about the techniques, polish my skills, and build a network with industry professionals. I wanted to explore the ins and outs of the filmmaking industry,” Enas reflected. “The thing I believe I gained the most from the training sessions is the script and scenario writing skill. It was a skill that hindered my applications to new opportunities in the past.” Enas recalled her experience when she applied to host a talk show last year with the same media agency – she now works with.
Building on the previous successes of the Programme, GFP launched the second edition of the ‘Filmi’ Training Programme in Amman, in partnership with Belfast-based Cinemagic and with the support of the Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Ireland in Jordan.
Filmi Programme engaged 20 youth from Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Palestine who reside in Jordan, providing them film industry masterclasses presented by international production managers, screenwriters, and award-winning filmmakers including screenwriter and filmmaker Ryan Rowe, Screenwriter, Director and Playwright Maire Campbell, Assistant Director Terry Bamber and Producer-Director Sam Nutt. The participants have had the opportunity to work together to select a topic important to them and collaborate as a team to produce their own independent film.
“The training provided us with a space to engaged in discussions and to come up with an idea for an independent film. We have joined theoretical sessions, connecting with professionals in the UK, and practical hands-on experience during the filming of the movie” Enas said.
“Today, I can say that I have also realised my dream; After the training, I pitched my show again to the media agency that rejected me last year, and I was accepted, I now run my own show “In Between The Lines” dedicated to portraying the narrative of my community and engaging with young people in a way that resonates with them, Enas concluded.
