Watan: Portraits of Syrian Refugees in Jordan (2018)

Seven years. Six million displaced people. The biggest humanitarian emergency of our time. The Syrian refugee crisis remains at the forefront of the global consciousness: as statistics, as photographs, as a bargaining chip in international politics. But inside the camps real people settle into a life in limbo. Watan (Homeland) explores two of the biggest refugee camps in Jordan - Zaatari and Azraq - along with neighboring city Jerash, to paint intimate portraits of the men, women and children who have found themselves there. Through observation of daily life, Watan builds a simple yet powerful series of interwoven stories that go beyond the statistics to find the human heart of the refugee crisis. These are stories of sadness, fear, beauty and surprises: from a young woman raising a family that is not hers, to a seventeen-year-old concrete, an all-women's filmmaking class, a boy who finds meaning through football, and more. Watan seeks to inspire action through connection, empathy and recognition, in a way that allows these people to speak for themselves. It shines a much-needed light on the human stories at the center of the global debate of immigration and asylum, giving a voice to the Syrian refugees in Jordan.