Children from an after-school club at St Fillan's Primary School in Scotland, have created a short animated film that shows the journey of a refugee woman from Syria to Glasgow. The film, ‘Under the Jasmine Tree’, raises awareness of the struggles of refugees trying to find safety. It premiered at the Refugee Festival in June. Under the supervision of a professional animator, students aged 9–12 years, were involved in the entire creative process, from the artwork and animation, to the production of all of the sound effects in the three-minute film.
The idea for this project came from a poem read to the group by Saffanna Aljbawi, a mother who fled Syria with her four children to find safety in Glasgow. She told Third Force News: ‘The first time when I met the children, I thought they would be bored with the subject of migrants, but I was surprised to see that it was the opposite. I am really proud of these children. In my poem, I'm trying to put my emotions to words. I like the way the film adds sound and colour to allow people to picture the story. I hope we can reach the listeners' hearts through their ears. I can never forget the empathy and support from everyone who worked alongside me in this project. I would like to thank Scotland and many of the people in Glasgow who offered a safe place to me and my family.’
Some of the members of the club expressed their feelings and motivation for working on this project. ‘I joined the Migration After-School Club to learn what's really happening in the world. When I first heard the poem I felt quite sad. It was really touching, so we had to make a movie out of it. Saffanna deserves a smile and some human rights,’ said Sanwal Babar, aged 10.
Colin Chaloner, an animator at the social enterprise media co-op in Glasgow, was impressed by the children's commitment to the work, their creativity, and interaction with Saffana. He hopes that the film will raise awareness on the plight of escaping war in Syria and the struggles of building a new life in a new country. ‘The images in Saffanna's poem will stay with me for a long time,’ said Chaloner.
Watch the film here.
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