Beyond borders

Screened in Dubai, Palestinian documentary captures the optimism of children living in occupied territories

Children in Palestine have hope despite the occupation, a Palestinian documentary on the refugee camp showed. Mai Masri's Frontiers of Fears and Dreams shows children's lives in refugee camps in the occupied territories and how it reflects on their dreams to build better futures for themselves despite the occupation.

The film was screened for the second time at the Dubai Press Club on Thursday.

The one-hour documentary is called Ahlam Al Manfa in Arabic. It means dreams of exile, which is not what its English title is. "The idea was to break through the boundaries, it was one of my reasons for choosing the English title, Frontiers of Fears and Dreams.

The idea of boundaries and frontiers is very compelling, that's why I had two different titles, one in Arabic and one in English," said Mai, the Palestinian film director.

The story of children in Palestinian refugee camps, inside Palestine in Bethlehem and outside it in South Lebanon, who contact each other via e-mail and prepare joint activities to share experiences with each other received five international film prizes.

"When I got the opportunity to film in South Lebanon and Palestine, I felt I could realise the dream. I knew the Palestinians are so confined, the boundaries, the barriers, the constant battle - the struggle to break through the barriers was my aim.