Private Project

MUSALEM: from (selm); who lives in peace

Logline:
Amat Al-Lateef, 27, and Mohammed, 31, are from the north and south of Yemen. Each in their way tries to keep the Yemeni honey available to Yemenis locally and abroad, despite the obstacles and destructions infused by the seven years of the ongoing war.

Short Synopsis:
COVID-19 brought another layer of hardship to Yemenis. With the lack of health facilities and medical support, Yemenis seek refuge in natural remedies, especially honey. However, the war caused limitations, deprived many of accessing it. Amat Al-Lateef, a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture from the University of Sana'a and a social activist, decided to take things into her own hands and work on beekeeping to increase honey production. As she struggles to provide for herself and her family, her end goal is to have affordable, high-quality honey for all Yemenis. On the other side, Mohammed is an accountant at a healthcare facility and a beekeeper at his family farm in Hadhramaut, Yemen. Amidst the war, he decided to pick up the family business, and now he has over 70 beehives from which he provides for himself and his family. Through their stories, both Amat and Mohammed give an insight into their lives in Yemen. And together, each in their way, battle the effects of war daily through their passion for bees and honey.

  • Mariam Al-Dhubhani
    Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    مُسالِم
  • Project Type:
    Virtual Reality, 360 Video
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 21 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    Yemen
  • Language:
    Arabic, English
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mariam Al-Dhubhani

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 debut, 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 about Yemen.

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