Ahmed says of ‘A Bond of Love’ and his approach to filmmaking:
“Through making films, I aim to reflect the reality I live in, in the camp and to highlight issues in society more generally, by exploring the problems that affect me personally. In telling these human stories, I want the spectator to live them.
The experiences I have had, living alongside my friends and family in the refugee camp as well as the problems we continue to face, have caused me to want to tell those stories. I do that out of love and gratitude for the people to whom these stories belong. It is with their ongoing support that I am able to tell them.
’A Bond Of Love’, is unique because it is based on my own Mother’s story, however, it is also a story that, unfortunately, will be very familiar to many. My Mother lived without an ID card for thirteen years. Because of this we lived in tension and suffering.”
Synopsis for A Bond of Love:
‘A Bond Of Love’ is a short film that tells the story of Haneen, a Jordanian woman of Palestinian descent, in her thirties. Haneen lives with her husband Khaled, in Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem, Palestine. Her daily life is full of challenges but when Khaled has a sudden health crisis, leaving him immobile, Haneen finds herself bearing the burden of the entire family. The only hope for Khaled’s recovery is a delicate spinal cord transplant, a procedure he can only have in Haifa and one that could save his life.
In the face of difficult economic and political circumstances, Haneen’s struggle goes beyond the fact that her husband is critically unwell. The biggest challenge lies, not in her husbands reluctance to the surgery, but in his fear that Haneen will be caught without an ID on her journey to Haifa, to donate blood and bone marrow for his surgery. With every step towards hope, the tension grows between the desire to save her husband and the constraints imposed by her reality. Will Haneen be able to break the chains of her identity and uncertain future - to fulfil her dream and save her husband - or will the journey be more complicated than she imagined?
Where the money goes…
Renting camera equipment can be quite complicated in the West Bank. The equipment needs to be rented on a daily basis and is much more affordable if it is returned at the end of each day. However due to restrictions of movement caused by checkpoints, frequent delays and closures; returning the equipment each day, will not be possible. This significantly increases the price of rental and this is why we are looking to raise £8000. Anything you can donate towards making what is going to be a special and important short film, will be greatly appreciated.
Ahmed’s Filmography:
Here is the trailer for ’Bigger than Alleys’, a short documentary Ahmed directed in 2019:
Ahmed’s most recent narrative short film is ‘Ruqaa’ which translates as ‘Patch’, he wrote and directed it in 2017. Here is a link to it on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/1064840017/ea0a625197?ts=0&share=copy
Anything you can give, to make this film happen is greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance…