The Syrian director, Osama Abo Amro, wrote his play 'dying for life' while he stayed in the refugee center in Kapellen.

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"I admire his sense of creative expression while he had so many problems on his hands. (security of his family in Aleppo, his wife and newborn child, who are still separated from him.)"

Osama has been looking for companions with a common story and he taught them how to act in his play. The first order priority for Osama is to make people aware of the war in his country. His uses art to convey a message. When you're watching "Dying for life" at times, you can feel the mix of emotions that Osama carries with him. They don't leave you alone. It is a cry for help, to be finally heard.

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With this documentary "Dying for life" Hussein Shabeeb and I, Andrés Lübbert, want to sketch a different image of the idea of a refugee. Osama and Dara, the main actors in the film, are always smiling, although, they have many problems. They want to prove what they represent to society. One example, to illustrate their drive, to make progress, to become independent, is the following story: while Dara, was still in the refugee center, and even had no papers, he was already invited for an interview, to become integration instructor. An interview which he completely did in Dutch.

The documentary gives a unique view of integration through drama. It shows through an intercultural dialogue- as a process of inclusion- how shared meanings can be generated through drama. In the parallel story line, we come to discover how Osama and Dara, in their human quest seeking to be accepted, in a society that is afraid of them and which is full of prejudice and obstacles.

WHO

I am Andrés, co-director of this documentary. We all have a common history of fleeing, that perhaps unites us. But we are also common people from Antwerp, who try to find, their artistic itinerary.

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Osama and Dara, main actors in the theater project, arrived in Belgium, about 10 months ago. They were fleeing the war in Syria. Co-director of the documentary Hussein, fled Bagdad 10 years ago, looking for a better existence. My father, came 38 years ago, through Europe, because of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile.

EXTRA ACTIONS

During the crowdfunding campaign the play will be on stage. During the performances we will accept free contributions, which will be added to the crowdfunding.

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On October 23, the play and a work in progress of the film will be shown, as part of the "Mestizio Arts Festival" in the Arenbergschouwburg in Antwerp: http://mestizoartsplatform.be/event/dying-for-life/

Dying for life: Theater & documentary