5 Videos that Tell a Different Story Of the Middle East

Google the word “Middle East”. Try searching for images. For the past years, mainstream narratives have revolved around an monolithic imagery of war, religious extremism, and desert-like scapes. But despite they don’t catch the spotlights, other pictures of the Middle East are continuously being taken, other sounds are recorded, and other melodies are created. These are only 5 of the thousand videos that tell a different story of the Middle East.

1. Cairo’s Soul. Produced by Nermin Habib to the sound of Egyptian Project’s “Ya Amar”, the video creates imaginary pauses throughout the frenzied Egyptian routine, to find delicious moments of calmness. In only 2.30 minutes, it magically captures the spirituality, the peace, and the resilience sweeping among Cairo’s hustle and bustle.

[vimeo 113803468 w=500 h=281]

2. The Melody of our Alienation. It may at first seem like a melancholic symphony filled with despair. But the end changes everything, as the poetry of Abdulaziz Al Maqaleh comes alive in a suggestive lyrical composition. The video was created by SupportYemen in an effort to remind its citizens of the resilience of Sana’a and spread a message of hope.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZrNh–XGYM]

3.The green Palestine you’ve never been shown. Created in 2012 by Raya Media featuring Jordanian-Palestinian singer Hani Mitwasi, this video may be the perfect antidote to smash stereotypical perceptions of a misrepresented land.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9fjzAxsNKA]

4.  Iraq in motion. Baghdad’s unexpected intensity, the dreamy waterfalls in Erbil, and the snow-covered hills in Sulimany are all part of this eyebrow-raising symphony of beauty. The film, which was recorded between 2011 and 2012 by Mujahed Alwaisi, sheds a light on the beautiful part of Iraq that does not make headlines.

[vimeo 98489407 w=500 h=281]

5. The best “happy”, danced in a Syrian refugee camp. There’s no glitz, no airbrushing, no special effects; yet, these dancers transform a scenario usually linked to despair into a joyful anthem to life. Created in Darashakran Camp in Iraqi Kurdistan, this video delves into an aspect often unexplored in refugee camps: the resilient spirit that survives across the tents.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6DK8ltANVM]