Just Another Memory
Amidst the ongoing war in Yemen; torn between being “safe” and “away”, weighed down by the ever-present mental and emotional baggage that still holds you back. How does one move forward and heal? How to deal with so much suppressed pain? In this profoundly affecting documentary, we investigate these questions and explore what it feels like to be suddenly uprooted and displaced by war.
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Mariam Al-DhubhaniDirector
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Yassmine HammoudiProducer
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Mariam Al-DhubhaniKey Cast
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Mohammed Al-JaberiKey Cast
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Akram Al-DhubhaniKey Cast
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Project Title (Original Language):مجرد ذكرى
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Student
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Genres:Humanitarian, Woman, children, war, drama
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Runtime:14 minutes 4 seconds
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Completion Date:July 20, 2018
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Country of Origin:Russian Federation
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Country of Filming:Qatar, Russian Federation, Yemen
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Language:Arabic, English
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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Ajyal Film FestivalDoha
Qatar
December 1, 2018
Local Premiere
Best Documentary -
American Documentary Film FestivalCalifornia
United States
March 29, 2019
International Premiere -
Yemeni Cinema in BeirutBeirut
Lebanon
April 21, 2019
Mariam Al-Dhubhani is a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist, filmmaker, curator, and educator based in the MENA region. She first pursued her passion for media during the 2011 Arab uprisings and co-founded her first media production. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and one of the first directors to utilize virtual reality to highlight stories from Yemen. Al-Dhubhani holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Strategic Communication from Northwestern University, 2019, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Museum and Gallery Practice from University College London, 2020. In addition to grossing several awards for her films, she was awarded Most Promising Filmmaker at the Toronto Arab Film festival in 2019 for her film, In The Middle. Through her work, Mariam attempts to shed light on the dangers of stereotyping the region in the mainstream media and provides a counterviewpoint to showcase equality in humanity. Her feature depute, Let's Play Soldiers, is a part of the Close Up Initiative. Al-Dhubhani has provided mentorship and training to support young filmmakers in conflict areas, including Yemen and Libya. She also served as a jury member for film grants and festivals in the US, Canada, and Yemen. Additionally, she collaborated with several UN agencies to produce and train young journalists on immersive reality in storytelling. Currently, she serves as a consultant on a Hollywood production film on Yemen.
The motivation to make this documentary for me was to heal. Until last summer, I was away from home and haven't been able to see my family in almost three years. I was fortunate enough to leave Yemen at the peak of the current war in 2015, but being away and safe didn't solve my problems. "Just Another Memory" turned from a learning process into a healing one when I decided to explore the emotional and psychological effects the war had on me even while being away. I felt like I was stuck and needed to process the burden I am carrying around to be able to move forward, and I believe that I managed to start at least fragmenting the mountain accumulated over the past few years.