Abdel Hameed: “I have two identities: a Sudanese identity that embraces the heritage of my family, and a Jordanian one that reflects my reality and the culture I am a part of.”
Abdel Hameed, a 20-year-old determent young man, was born in Sudan and moved to Jordan in 2007, Abdel Hameed graduated Tawjihi, with an average of 85 per cent and aspires to pursue a bachelor’s degree once he secures a scholarship.
“I have two identities: a Sudanese identity that embraces the heritage of my family, and a Jordanian one that reflects my reality and the culture I am a part of,” Abdel Hameed explained.
Abdel Hameed feels that due to differences in his accent and appearance, people perceive him as “different”.
“I personally believe that I’m not different; I just stand out,” Abdel Hameed said.
When asked why he joined Filmi Programme, Abdel Hameed mentioned his friend Omar, who participated in the first edition of the Programme and strongly recommended it.
“Omar told me he had a pleasant, enriching, and informative experience with Filmi’s first edition. He suggested that I would be a great fit for the Programme,” Abdel Hameed added.
Abdel Hameed’s experience differed slightly from Omar’s. He found the master classes initially intense, but once he got acquainted with the filmmaking terminology and concepts, he found the classes to be extremely informative and essential for skill-building, he said.
One of Abdel Hameed’s reflections on the Programme is its inclusivity and openness to new ideas. He believes that the direct interaction between refugees and Jordanians significantly contributes to the essence of the Programme. Additionally, the topics covered during the master classes were diverse, allowing participants to express their opinions and engage in prolonged debates. One of the topics that grasped Abdel Hameed’s attention during the master classes is how the narrative relates to everything in life. Owning the narrative enables a person to influence people’s understanding, something he had never considered before, said Abdel Hameed.
Building on the previous successes of the Programme, Generations For Peace (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 with 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.
“I’m awaiting next year’s edition. I want my brother to enroll in the same programme. I highly recommend Filmi to anyone interested in video production and writing, as it offers both theoretical and practical experience into filmmaking industry,” Abdel Hameed concluded.
