1001_MEDIA

Was there anything you wanted to get into the movie, but couldn't because of length concerns? A lot! We have over 250 hours of film and ended up with a 1 ¼ hour movie. There were so many heart-wrenching and inspiring stories. It comes down to what the editors felt were the most complete stories we caught on film. -Who funded the movie? The film was funded by our two productions companies: Living on One (Chris and Zach) and 1001 MEDIA (Mohab and Salam) -What countries were the refugees hoping to land in? The refugees we met landed where they intended, Jordan. Many came from the southern parts of Syria, which have strong ties (including family ties) to northern Jordan. Most did not expect they would stay long. -Did any of your equipment go missing during the shoot? Thankfully not! -Do either of you speak Arabic? Pretty limited. We had an Arabic translator that lived with us. Our fellow producers also speak Arabic.

No we didn’t experience any threats at all by anyone while we were in Jordan.

Yes… if you listen to refugees anywhere in the world, they all want the same thing: to go home and back to living a peaceful life. Their lives were interrupted by conflict and now their day to day lives are in a state of uncertainty. Most refugees have no right to work in their host countries, which can make things even more difficult for them. In our experience, we saw people who do not want a handout and just want to re-start their lives and be able to take care of their families. Regardless of where refugees are, most of them come to host countries having experienced trauma. As a result, many of their stories are indeed “heart-wrenching”.

The refugees love their country. Most people we talked to want to go back in the future, but that is not possible right now. Over 80% of infrastructure is destroyed in Syria. In countries like Jordan they are building their lives and building dignity, and we need to support them in terms of work and education so that they can rebuild Syria when the time comes. Some will move on, but the refugees are the hope for a future Syria.

What's the most effective thing that the average Joe or Jane can do right this second to help Syrian refugees? Without even leaving your house, you can begin by donating money to the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and UNHCR via our Crowdrise page for SALAM NEIGHBOR. These organizations provide much of the humanitarian aid to the 65 million displaced people worldwide and need your support right away. You can also contact your senators and congressmen, asking them to maintain our humanitarian aid for refugees and host countries. The simplest thing you can do is begin a dialogue with your friends and neighbors, reminding them that refugees are people just like you and me, but have been forced to flee their country due to conflict. You can find actions right here: http://livingonone.org/salamneighbor/get-involved/