FILE:2015-06-04-Greece-Kos-The-Artists-Way-V2

UNHCR

FILE:2015-06-04-greece-kos-the-artists-way-V2

TITLE: Greece: The Artist’s Way

LANGUAGE: NATS/ENGLISH/ARABIC

SOURCE: ALEX ST. DENIS/DON MURRAY/EDITH CHAMPAGNE

LOCATION: KOS, GREECE

SHOOT DATE: JUNE 4, 2015

AIR DATE:

RUNS: 3:01

FORMAT: 16/9

INTRO: More than 7,000 refugees have crossed the narrow strait, often in danger of their lives, between Turkey and the Greek island of Kos, since the beginning of the year. They are in the midst of a long flight taking most from the war in Syria. Their stories, like that of Nasreen, are painful, but their determination and fortitude are remarkable.

A shell of a hotel – no water, no electricity for weeks – now houses non-paying guests – refugees, most from Syria, some from Afghanistan, others from Pakistan and Africa. They have been smuggled across a narrow strait from Turkey to the Greek island of Kos. They have fled conflict, but conflict follows them – in their minds.

CLIP: NASREEN PALESTINIAN-SYRIAN REFUGEE

People were forced to go to a bomb shelter, 25 meters square. Around 1000 people went into the shelter, maybe a few more.Among them were many women and children. It was a tragedy.

Nasreen is haunted by her memories, and her past. She is a Palestinian-Syrian, from Yarmouk near Damascus.

Yarmouk has been a Palestinian refugee camp, a city of more than 100,000, for almost 60 years. Nasreen was born there. For the past 4 years it has been bombed and besieged.

CLIP:NASREEN

I suffered a great deal in Syria not only me, all my family, all the people suffered. Because of our strong will, our will to live, we stayed all this time. Then finally we realized that life was impossible there.

The Captain Elias hotel could be another camp, where hundreds of refugees queue for food and water.

CLIP: NASREEN

We were refugees from Palestine to Syria and now refugees from Syria to Turkey. I still don’t know how many refugee situations we will live through.

Nasreen was a student and an artist. The conflict stripped her of her studies and her art.

CLIP: NASREEN

I decided to leave Syria to do something for myself, to make the beautiful things I want, just to live, nothing more.

Like Nasreen, all the refugees see this hotel, and this island, as no more than a way-station. They will go on to Athens, and then further north into Europe. Their goal is, as Nasreen says, just to live, nothing more.

SHOTLIST:

00:05 Refugees in front of Elias hotel

00:12 Empty hotel rooms without power

00:16 Ali, syrian refugee, entering the hotel

00:23 A Syrian family, waiting

00:26 A crowd of refugees gathered around volunteers

00:31 Refugees sitting on the beach, across Turkey

00:36 Syrian-palestinian Refugees in the middle of a field in front of Elias hotel

00:39 Nasreen, Syrian-Palestinian refugee talking with her brother-in-law

00:44 CLIP: NASREEN PALESTINIAN-SYRIAN REFUGEE

People were forced to go to a bomb shelter, 25 meters square. Around 1000 people went into the shelter, maybe a few more. Among them were many women and children. It was a tragedy.

01:01 3d pictures of Nasreen

01:13 Footage of Yarmouk camp in Syria, courstesy of UNRWA

01:23 close up of Nasreen

01:27 Footage of Yarmouk camp in Syria, courstesy of UNRWA

01:35CLIP:NASREEN

01:50 Various of refugees in front of Elias hotel

01:59 CLIP: NASREEN

We were refugees from Palestine to Syria and now refugees from Syria to Turkey. I still don’t know how many refugee situations we will live through.

02:09 Wide of Nasreen sitting on a chair (slow mo)

02:17 CLIP: NASREEN

I decided to leave Syria to do something for myself, to make the beautiful things I want, just to live, nothing more.

02:22 Slow-mo shots of Nasreen talking and looking at the camera (clip cover)

02:36 Refugees lined-up in front of hotel Elias

02:42 Mother and her kid (slow-mo)

02:47 Bunch of young boys chatting together

02:50 Mother with young child in arms

02:52 Close up of a young boy looking at the camera (slow-mo)