The Art of Awareness

The conflict in Syria has escalated into one of the century’s most deadliest civil wars. It started in March 2011 as a peaceful protest against Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, but violence erupted and spread throughout the country.

Nearly 400,000 Syrians have been killed and more than half of the country’s population has been displaced, many of them fleeing abroad, according to the United Nations.

CSUN Cinema Television and Arts major Dilek Ince created the student film “AMAL”, about an American volunteer doctor who witnesses a tragic event that leaves a young Syrian girl named Amal without a family.

“I did this story for children that feel forgotten,” Ince said. “I knew I wanted to make this film because I wanted to reach as many people as possible.”

Ince said she wanted to tell a story about what’s happening on the other side of the world, a story that people may not know much about. She wanted to show how the war is affecting children’s lives, and she wants to make people aware of what’s going on.

“I researched a lot of articles and I spoke with people who went through this war, because I wanted to make the film as authentic as possible,” Ince said. “I also spoke with some organizations that help kids.”

Fadia Afashe, an artist, activist and a refugee who left Syria, said it wasn’t easy to survive in that country.

“The minute you start to question things, the minute they recognize you are out of order and you start to demand any human rights, you are on the list,” Afashe said. “[When you’re on that list, it means] your life, your family life, everyone you know will be in danger.”

Afashe said that when she was growing up, even before the war, her parents would discourage her from speaking up or voicing her opinions on certain issues in public. They feared there would be dangerous repercussions towards their family if she did.

“I started to be a women’s rights activist because I was witnessing horrible things happening in my society and I wanted to change it,” Afashe said. “Even just asking for women’s rights … was forbidden, and they put me on the list.”

Afashe said she couldn’t invite people over and didn’t have access to the internet to share information on women’s rights.  Instead, she started using art to share that information.

“I started to think maybe art is the solution, because that is probably how I can get into every Syrian home, because Syrians love movie stars,” Afashe said. “I created my first movie in Syria about women’s issues.”

Afashe said she wasn’t able show her film on television in Syria, and she said people didn’t have access to the internet at the time. Now that they do, activism can spread more easily.

Both Ince and Afashe agreed that art can be used as a tool to educate the public on social issues.

“Definitely it can be used to spread awareness,” Ince said. “Even though it’s a fiction story, [the audience] get inspired by the real stories.”

Ince said films can also show people what they can do to help.

Moderator: Savannah Palacio

Producer: Son Ly

Anchor: James Farr

Social Media Editor: James Farr

Reporters: Karen Elle, James Farr, Kelcey Henderson, Son Ly and Savannah Palacio