Salam Neighbor
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''Salam Neighbor'' is a 2015 documentary film by the production companies Living on One Dollar and 1001 MEDIA. The title means "hello" neighbor. The title has a dual meaning as the Arabic word "salam" also means "peace." The film documents the experiences of American filmmakers Zach Ingrasci and Chris Temple when they lived among 85,000 Syrians in
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
's Za'atari refugee camp, which lies seven miles from the
Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
n border. The filmmakers, who were the first allowed by the UN to register and set-up a tent inside a refugee camp, spent a month in Za'atari to cover what the
UN Refugee Agency The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
calls the world's most pressing humanitarian crisis. ''Salam Neighbor'' is a component of a three-part project focused on the Syrian refugee crisis: the documentary, a
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
(VR) film and a social impact campaign. The film had its world premiere in Washington, DC at the AFI DOCS film festival on June 20, 2015.


''Salam Neighbor'' documentary


Film-making approach

In ''Salam Neighbor'', the filmmakers sought to understand the human side of the Syrian refugee crisis by living among the refugees. This immersive film style, combined with a social impact campaign, reflects the strategy of Living on One, which was co-founded by ''Salam Neighbor'''s directors/producers Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, and echoes their previous documentary, '' Living on One Dollar.'' The "East meets West" approach to humanize the Arab world reflects the strategy of the film's other producers Mohab Khattab and Salam Darwaza, the co-founders of 1001 MEDIA.


Story-lines

''Salam Neighbor'' concentrates on five Syrian refugees: Ghoussoon, a nurse who built a home business to provide for her children, Um Ali, a grandmother struggling to overcome personal loss and cultural barriers, Raouf, a street smart 10-year-old boy who hides his trauma behind his smile, Ghassem, a 30-something relief worker who lost everything he built in his life, and Ismail, a 20-something father finding his way after his college education was interrupted by the Syrian crisis. The film tells five stories among the 65 million refugee stories around the globe. In trying to depict the humanity of the crisis, ''Salam Neighbor'' seeks to reflect the reality of life in a refugee camp. The film provides its audience insights into the refugee crossing process, entry into Jordan, initial aid upon arrival (water, food, first aid and inoculations), arrival registration in the camp, setting up a tent and obtaining bedding, heaters and initial food rations. In telling the stories of their neighbors, the filmmakers also offered a look into how camp life affected the refugees, both good and bad. For example, Um Ali was shown to have created opportunity out of crisis by developing and selling her art and working for an
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
to support her husband for the first time. ''Salam Neighbor'' further addresses the logistics of running the Za'atari refugee camp, including through interviews of the then camp manager,
Kilian Kleinschmidt Kilian Kleinschmidt (born 1962 in Essen, Germany) is a German entrepreneur and former UNHCR official who served as the director of the Zaatari refugee camp. Personal life Kleinschmidt was born in Essen, Germany as the son of teachers, and grew ...
, who discussed the entrepreneurial energy of the refugees and said, "We were building a camp, they were building a city." That quote summarizes the strains between the goals and expertise of the NGOs in providing "first-aid" and the desires of the refugees to begin to recover and rebuild their lives. Another issue covered in the film is the role of host countries and how refugees are affected by the constraints host countries face with a large influx of people escaping war.


Commentary by the filmmakers

Members of the ''Salam Neighbor'' film team have elaborated on their approach to, as well as other aspects of, ''Salam Neighbor'' in various television and radio interviews. On
Andrea Mitchell Reports ''Andrea Mitchell Reports'' is a news show on MSNBC broadcast weekdays at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT hosted by Andrea Mitchell. She originally was an anchor under the ''MSNBC Live'' umbrella before getting her own distinct show. She is the NBC News Chief F ...
on
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and politi ...
, the directors described the story of 10-year old Raouf and the trauma he faced. On
The Leonard Lopate Show Leonard Lopate (born September 23, 1940) is an American radio personality. He is the host of the radio talk show ''Leonard Lopate at Large'', broadcast on WBAI, and the former host of the public radio talk show ''The Leonard Lopate Show'', bro ...
on
WNYC WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that ...
radio, the directors chatted about four major characters in the film, the filmmakers' expectations entering the refugee camp, security issues in the camp, the urban refugee issue (refugees living outside of the camps), the resettlement question and how the crisis is changing gender and cultural norms for the Syrian refugees. On The Mimi Geerges Show, the four producers covered the same issues as the Lopate interview, as well as the film's goals, the role of refugee camps, logistics in the camp, the filmmakers' interactions with refugees in the camp, the entrepreneurship exhibited in the camp, host country issues, the role of more developed Arab nations in this crisis and the Living on One/1001 MEDIA partnership.


Reception to the documentary


Portraying life in a refugee camp

Both
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
and
Fast Company ''Fast Company'' is a monthly American business magazine published in print and online that focuses on technology, business, and design. It publishes six print issues per year. History ''Fast Company'' was launched in November 1995 by Alan Web ...
noted ''Salam Neighbor'' marks the first time
UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
has allowed filmmakers to be registered and embedded in a refugee camp with a tent. Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls said "One
ilm Ilm or ILM may refer to: Acronyms * Identity Lifecycle Manager, a Microsoft Server Product * '' I Love Money,'' a TV show on VH1 * Independent Loading Mechanism, a mounting system for CPU sockets * Industrial Light & Magic, an American motion ...
that ... I am now a big fan of- is ''Salam Neighbor'' which ... is a poignant look at life in a refugee camp." The Refugee Sponsorship Forum added "I encourage you to see this eye-opening, candid account of life within a refugee camp."


Immersive approach to humanize refugees

The film's immersive style is meant to allow for a human depiction of the refugees.
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
said “ hris and Zachdon't just make documentaries. They make themselves part of the story.” According to
Indiewire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...
, the audience of 'heart-wrenching' ''Salam Neighbor'' will “understand the Syrian refugee crisis like never before." ''Salam Neighbor's'' depiction of the human elements of the Syrian refugee crisis has been recognized by political and humanitarian figures and organizations. Her Majesty Queen Rania of
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
stated “What I love about this film is the resilience it reveals" and how it shows the Syrian refugees "have not abandoned hope.” U.S. Congressman
Ted Lieu Ted W. Lieu (; born March 29, 1969) is an American politician and Air Force Reserve Command colonel who has represented California's 33rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015. The district includes much of wes ...
(D-CA) added that "On a subject too often discussed in terms of numbers, 'Salam Neighbor''capture the human element of one of the greatest refugee crises of this generation.” The International Rescue Committee stated "if this film brings greater awareness, understanding and compassion for the Syrians we work with every day, it will be, indeed, well worth our time."


Mobilizing change

The film's social impact focus regarding the crisis has been recognized. The
UN Refugee Agency The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
said “''Salam Neighbor'' ... delivers a powerful message. It will leave you touched and inspired to take action.” Carolyn Miles, the CEO of
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
, added the film pushes "the boundaries of how we tell stories and maximize social impact in the 21st century."
Samantha Power Samantha Jane Power (born September 21, 1970) is an American journalist, diplomat and government official who is currently serving as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. She previously served as the 28th ...
, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. said “This film is important … because it shatters the idea that there isn’t anything that one can do, that the problem is too big.” Senator
Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States H ...
(D-CT) added “''Salam Neighbor'' allows all of us that glimpse into the lives of the people fleeing the violence in Syria and what’s at stake if we fail to respond.”
Simon Frasier University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public Research university, research university in British Columbia, Canada, with three campuses, all in Greater Vancouver: Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and Vancou ...
stated "Every person who watches this film can play an active role in dispelling fear ... This is a story that encourages us not only to be global citizens, but global neighbours as well."


Virtual reality film

Although ''Salam Neighbor'' mostly covers Syrian refugees in the Za'atari camp, approximately 80% of Syrian refugees in Jordan are urban refugees, living outside of the camps. In order to cover the urban refugee situation, ''Salam Neighbor'' developed the
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), e ...
(VR) film ''For My Son'' in partnership with
RYOT Ryot (alternatives: raiyat, rait or ravat) was a general economic term used throughout India for peasant cultivators but with variations in different provinces. While zamindars were landlords, raiyats were tenants and cultivators, and served as hi ...
and
UNOCHA The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaste ...
. The film is a video letter from an urban Syrian refugee (living in East Amman, Jordan) to his son, expressing hope for his son's future. On March 15, 2016, it launched as an exhibit at the
US Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hist ...
in Washington, DC. ''For My Son'' is also made available to audience members at some screenings of ''Salam Neighbor''. The film can be viewed on the RYOT website and with the RYOT app (iPhones and Androids, including by use of VR headsets). It screened at the DocX section of the 2016 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.


Social impact campaign


What is a social impact campaign

Social impact campaigns seek to leverage media projects by converting public awareness of social issues and causes into engagement and action, largely by offering the audience a way to get involved. In June 2015,
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
wrote a story about how filmmakers are increasingly utilizing social impact campaigns with their films.


''Salam Neighbor'' social impact campaign

''Salam Neighbor'' developed a social impact campaign in conjunction with the documentary. In the Variety article, ''Salam Neighbor'' co-director/producer Zach Ingrasci was quoted as saying “If we can mobilize that shift in the narrative to have real change in policy, that can have a huge effect ... The goal is to create a more sustainable and connected response for Syrian refugees.” The major themes of the film's impact campaign are supporting both (i) refugee host countries, and (ii) education opportunities for children whose schooling is interrupted by conflict or disaster. In May 2016, US Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Judith Rowland of Global Citizen featured ''Salam Neighbor'' in an article they published on MSNBC, entitled "Syrian refugee crisis creates huge gap in education funding." The ''Salam Neighbor impact'' campaign is in marked contrast to negative Western perceptions of Syrian refugees, which partly reflects negative stereotypes of refugees in general. The filmmakers also work with various groups to develop guides that are used with the film to educate people about the Syrian refugee crisis. The first of those guides was released by +Acumen. The American Film Institute (AFI) and
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primaril ...
provided their first impact grant to ''Salam Neighbor'' to support this campaign. The Center for Media & Social Impact (American University, School of Communication) developed a case study on the ''Salam Neighbor'' social impact campaign, which it presented at MCON 2016 (Millennial Engagement Conference).


Implementation of the campaign

''Salam Neighbor'' has partnered with Global Citizen, Creative Visions Foundation, Take Part and
RYOT Ryot (alternatives: raiyat, rait or ravat) was a general economic term used throughout India for peasant cultivators but with variations in different provinces. While zamindars were landlords, raiyats were tenants and cultivators, and served as hi ...
to increase awareness of issues related to the Syrian refugee crisis among policy makers and influencers (grass tops advocacy). On March 15, 2016, Global Citizen reached out to encourage world leaders to increase educational funding for children affected by crisis using clips from ''Salam Neighbor''. Additional clips and characters from the film were also featured in a video with actress Salma Hayek Pinault (backed by 60 leading charities and campaigners and 250,000 petitioners from around the world) promoting th
Education Cannot Wait Fund
that was launched at the 2016
World Humanitarian Summit The United Nations World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 23 and 24, 2016. The summit was an initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon and was organized by the United Nations Office for the ...
in Istanbul. Various countries attending the summit pledged $90 million to the fund to help ensure displaced children like Raouf get the chance to be educated. Clips from ''Salam Neighbor'' were also included and credited in a Bono-narrated video that played immediately before President Obama spoke at the "Leaders’ Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis" he hosted on September 20, 1016 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings. While creating awareness, ''Salam Neighbor'' also encourages grassroots advocacy for increased humanitarian funding and increased resettlement options for refugees around the world. The grassroots efforts include encouraging volunteerism in support of refugees. The US Government relies on a network of domestic organizations to make sure refugees arriving in the US have the resources they need to succeed. ''Salam Neighbor'''s website provides a link to volunteer opportunities with such resettlement organizations. ''Salam Neighbor'' has also pursued its impact campaign on social media. A ''Now This'' video featuring ''Salam Neighbor'' has been seen by over 3.1 million people and shared over 25,000 times. The same video was featured on ''Upworthy'' and has been seen by about 968,000 people and shared over 7,000 times. ''Salam Neighbor'' also reaches out directly to its audience on social media. It live-streamed on Facebook the behind-the-scenes activities at a Georgetown University screening of the film (including a quick discussion with David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee) and the introductory remarks before the screening by Mr. Miliband and the featured speaker Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
. That video has been viewed over 42,000 times.


Campaign partners

Beyond
AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...
and
NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. NBCUniversal is primaril ...
, ''Salam Neighbor'''s social impact partners are the
UN Refugee Agency The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
(UNHCR), International Rescue Committee (IRC) and
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
. ''Salam Neighbor'' offers its audience the opportunity to donate to these partners. By the end of January 2017, over $156,000 had been raised.


Distribution


Theatrical

''Salam Neighbor'' did not utilize a normal theatrical release. Instead, the film launched with on-demand theatrical and community screenings through Tugg. The 300+ screenings included events for Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
at
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
, for UN dignitaries in New York City (opening remarks by US Ambassador to the UN
Samantha Power Samantha Jane Power (born September 21, 1970) is an American journalist, diplomat and government official who is currently serving as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development. She previously served as the 28th ...
), in the US Capitol Visitors Center in Washington, DC (opening remarks by Congressman
Ted Lieu Ted W. Lieu (; born March 29, 1969) is an American politician and Air Force Reserve Command colonel who has represented California's 33rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2015. The district includes much of wes ...
), for
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...
, the
US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...
and the
US Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, for
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
in Los Angeles, for the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC and at
Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
and
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
headquarters in Silicon Valley, CA.


Television

''Salam Neighbor'' first launched on television in the US on January 20, 2016 on Participant Media’s cable channel, Pivot. When the film premiered, the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
listed it on its What to Watch list. The film also started screening in the Middle East in Arabic on June 17, 2016 on Alhurra.


Video on Demand

''Salam Neighbor'' launched on iTunes in the US and Canada on May 6, 2016. It was released on Vimeo on Demand in the US and Canada on June 10, 2016. The film premiered worldwide in 21 different languages on Netflix on June 20, 2016, which was World Refugee Day. It was also released on Amazon Video and Google Play on the same day in the US and Canada. With the World Refugee Day releases, The Atlantic Magazine listed ''Salam Neighbor'' as its "Editor's Pick." When ''Salam Neighbor'' launched in the UK on Netflix, the Guardian newspaper said the film is "an attention-grabbing, eye-level view of a crisis that many of us have spent more time discussing than imagining."


Other

''Salam Neighbor'' was chosen for the 2016-17 American Film Showcase (AFS) for screenings sponsored by US embassies around the world as part of film festivals, special screenings and workshops. AFS is a film diplomacy program of the U.S. Department of State’s
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world. It is responsible for the Un ...
(ECA) and is produced by the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
's
School of Cinematic Arts The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...
(SCA).


Film festivals and related events


Traditional film festivals

''Salam Neighbor'' has screened at various film festivals, including AFI-DOCS (2015, Washington, DC), where it was featured as a spotlight screening; CPH:DOX (2015, Copenhagen, Denmark), where it was ranked among the best films; Washington West (2015, Washington, DC); WatchDocs (2015, Warsaw, Poland); Aruba International Film Festival (2015); Human Rights Watch Film Festival (2016, Los Angeles, CA) and Crossroads (2016, Graz, Austria). ''For My Son'' screened at the DocX section of the 2016 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.


Related events

''Salam Neighbor'' has also screened at various events surrounding major film festivals, such as SXSWedu (2016, Austin, TX) and Student Screening Day at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (2016, Palm Springs, CA).


Awards and nominations

''Salam Neighbor'' received the 2016 Media Award Honoring Voices of Courage & Conscience for a feature documentary from the US Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC). It was a finalist for the 2016 SIMA Awards for documentary features.


References


External links

* * {{IMDb title, tt3828488 American documentary films Documentary films about refugees Refugees of the Syrian civil war 2015 films 2010s American films