Back in 2019 in the heart of Istanbul, a group of Karam House students eagerly crammed into a small coffee shop to learn about the art of filmmaking from NuVu’s Creative Director Amro Arida. A Syrian native himself, Amro is a self-taught artist with expertise in animation, design, and filmmaking. Design is not a career Amro fell into, but rather a language he speaks fluently and expresses ever-so-freely.
The workshop was Amro’s first true interaction with Syrians since he fled the country in 2012. He prompted the students to share their personal stories, but the engaging response and unexpected flood of emotions inspired him to tell Karam’s story. Watch Amro’s film and read our interview with him below.
KF: Were there any distinct challenges you faced after committing to this film project?
AA: There are always challenges associated with making any film. In this case, timing was my primary issue because I only had four days to film. I knew I wanted to start filming the students as soon as possible. Their perspectives and journeys were definitely a guiding point for the entire project.
Another challenge I had to navigate was ensuring that Karam’s history was highlighted and well-documented. Karam’s past plays a critical role in its future, and I wanted to make sure that the growth, vision, and limitless potential were all preserved.
KF: Why do you think it’s important for Syrian refugee youth to have access to the NuVu-Karam creative curriculum?
AA: There are so many reasons. Both in Syria and the United States, students in traditional school systems are always answering questions that already have answers. Through the NuVu-Karam curriculum, Syrian youth can answer new questions and find new solutions for the problems around them. They can use their stories, what they’ve been through, and the state of the world around them to fix the problems they encounter.
When you talk about a creative process of this nature, it actually applies to many fields. Take filmmaking, for instance. The experiences you’ve encountered in your life shape the story you tell. The same model can then be replicated when working on a, say, prosthetic—and through NuVu-Karam, it has been. Students respond to the problem they’ve come to learn about by providing a logical and well-thought-out resolution.
KF: Karam and NuVu hold joint virtual exchange studios through which students in Turkey and the US collaborate on group projects. How does group learning of this nature help students experience global issues and develop a personally-defined worldview?
AA: Collaboration is an important skill that all students should learn. The virtual exchange done between students at Karam House and NuVu allows students to work together on the global issues that impact them all on some level or another, in hopes of finding effective resolutions.
When students in Cambridge learn that they’ll be working with students at Karam House, they actually become very serious because they know the issues they will be learning about are real, serious, and need to be addressed.
The fact of the matter is that we tend to believe there is an underlying conflict between people of different groups or backgrounds, but the reality is oftentimes more assuring. When you watch these students working together and collaborating on a critical problem, group boundaries fade. They instead become one. They adopt an open mind and listen to one another, all in the name of resolving global issues.
When you learn about the depth of the creative process and when you are encouraged to think critically during the age of adolescents, you learn that there is no one way of thinking. No one-way to solve a problem. You are open to other perspectives, even if they come from someone with a background far different than yours.
KF: Karam is on a mission to build 10,000 Leaders over the next ten years. How does the NuVu-Karam innovative education curriculum support this mission?
AA: Our experiences shape us. They shape our viewpoint, our outlook, and even our perspective. The refugee experience is no different. Refugees can use their stories and experiences to make an impact. The unfortunate nature of the refugee crisis is that it resulted in a vast array of multidisciplinary problems and catastrophes. But the fact is, those who have experienced these problems first-hand are the ones best equipped to solve them. That’s what the NuVu-Karam curriculum is all about.
Through the workshops, the students are developing an understanding of the world around them and finding ways to capitalize on their strengths to best address the issues they learn about. They are able to use their creativity and thought-process to find innovative solutions to these problems. To me, that’s what being a leader is all about.
When I look at Karam, I have hope for Syrians. I have hope for the future. This is why the work is so important. This is why it matters.
Keep up with Amro here: https://amroarida.com/