MعLMIN
MعLMIN chronicles the domestic lives of six young men. Some have lived their whole life in Amsterdam; others have fled war-torn Syria. The paths of these six men meet when they come to live in the same housing unit. While following their daily lives filled with food, music and kitchen football, their bond changes. Fear of ‘the other’ slowly evolves into brotherhood. They eventually call themselves MعLMIN, meaning nice people in informal Arabic. Merging an ethnographic sensibility and filmmaking, MعLMIN is an intimate portrait on belonging, nostalgia, and shyness.
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Loes MoreeDirector
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Project Type:Documentary, Short, Student
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Runtime:26 minutes 19 seconds
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Completion Date:October 8, 2022
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:Netherlands
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Country of Filming:Netherlands
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Language:Dutch
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes - Universiteit Leiden
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Field RecordingsRotterdam
Netherlands
November 12, 2022 -
LUVELeiden
Netherlands
October 8, 2022
Dutch premiere
As a child I was shy. The curiosity was there, but I was too scared to initiate contact. Later, I realized that many people ‘suffer’ from this. As a visual anthropologist and journalist, I aspire to make this bridge to the unknown more accessible. I translate scientific knowledge about diversity, shyness and health into image, sound and word.
Staying in social bubbles can sometimes freeze opinions. It can lead to discrimination, negative stereotypes and anxiety towards 'other groups'. This film tries to encourage people to leave their bubble. MعLMIN, meaning nice people in informal Arabic, is about interaction with the seemingly ‘other’. This film shows how six young men with Dutch and Syrian backgrounds are living, learning and laughing together.