In The Middle
Forced to pick up arms, Ali, is stuck in between his crushed dreams and the harsh reality in the city of Aden as a product of the ongoing war in Yemen.
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The current war in Yemen is one of the most underreported conflicts. As the Middle East region is going through unstable developments, the Yemeni narrative gets lost in the clutter. A majority of the stories that manage to come out from Yemen are all of famine, cholera, destruction, and despair. None of which are told by Yemenis. It is usually a parachuting reporter who briefs the world in, like a news strap that passes through television screens; momentary and not very impactful. Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, is currently under the control of the Houthi rebels. They seized control of the government in 2014 and are ruling the majority of Yemen’s Northern parts. In 2015, the religious-political-armed movement also known as ‘Ansar Allah’ attacked the South to expand their dominance. Their expansion to the South resulted in blood and destruction. That is when the Saudi-led coalition came into the picture. It did push back the Houthis into the North. The aftermath of the Aden battle resulted in a tentative recovery in the South. Yet, the livelihood remains in a desperate need for improvement. For many in Aden, joining the military was the reliable option to secure a source of living.
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Ali MustafaKey Cast“himself”
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Mariam Al-DhubhaniDirector
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Mohammed Al-JaberiProducer
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Noor AbunabaaProducer
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Mohammed Al-JaberiCamera
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Amit ChowdhuryEditor
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Nur MunawarahEditor
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Falah HannounSound
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Mariam Al-DhubhaniSound
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Project Title (Original Language):في المنتصف
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Project Type:Documentary, Student, Short
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Runtime:14 minutes 11 seconds
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Completion Date:May 30, 2019
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Country of Origin:Yemen
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Country of Filming:Qatar, Russian Federation, Yemen
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Language:Arabic
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:Yes
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Ajyal Film FestivalDoha
Qatar
November 25, 2019
Best Documentary Award
Mariam Al-Dhubhani is a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and curator. She first pursued her passion for media during the 2011 Arab uprisings and co-founded her first media production. Her films have been screened globally in festivals such as Carthage, Interfilm, and Oaxaca. She also utilizes Virtual Reality in highlighting stories from Yemen.
مريم الذبحاني صحفية وصانعة أفلام وقيِّمة فنية يمنية روسية حاصلة على عدة جوائز. تابعت شغفها في مجال الإعلام لأول مرة خلال الانتفاضات العربية عام 2011 وشاركت في تأسيس أول شركة إنتاج إعلامي لها. تم عرض أفلامها عالمياً في مهرجانات مثل قرطاج وإنترفيلم وواهاكا. كما أنها تستخدم الواقع الافتراضي في تسليط الضوء على قصص من اليمن.
The current war in Yemen is one of the most underreported conflicts. As the Middle East region is going through many unstable developments, the Yemeni narrative gets lost in the clutter. A majority of the stories that manage to come out from Yemen are all of famine, cholera, destruction, and despair. None of which are told by Yemenis. It is usually a parachuting reporter who briefs the world in, like a news strap that passes through television screens; momentary and not very impactful. Documenting stories from Yemen by Yemenis is crucial at this time. My husband, Mohammed Al-Jaberi, and I are equipped to provide Ali with a platform and tell his story with him. Ali represents a vast majority of youth who are unable to just 'live,' but instead, they need to continually struggle to survive.