“Amani” movie… combating child labor in cinema

Damascus (ST) – On the International Day for the Combating Child Labor and as part of the “Stop Child Labor” campaign, the General Cinema Foundation, in cooperation with the Shams Volunteering Team, launched the first special screening of the short narrative film “Amani”, written and directed by Mohamed Samir Tahan.

“Amani”, whose director dedicated its first show to the spirit of the great artist Osama Al-Romani, deals with the world of children and the dangers they are exposed to in the light of the conditions they live in through a story, the hero of which is a child fighting the cruelty of life.

Tahan said that this film is part of his project to shed light on the suffering of the Syrian people, especially children, after the terrorist war that they have lived through over the past years. He indicated that presenting the film’s premiere on the International Day for the Abolition of Child Labor was the result of the concerted efforts of the General Cinema Organization with the Shams volunteer team and the director to deliver the film’s message to the widest range.

Shams Volunteer Team leader Beryhan Jumblatt stressed that they launched a campaign during the first twelve days of June to combat child labor and it was agreed that the campaign would conclude with a special screening of the film.

She emphasized the importance of the solidarity of all concerned parties, including the government sector and civil society, and of meeting around one goal, which is to raise the voice in confronting the phenomenon of child labor.

Regarding his role in the film, the child Hammoud Abu Hassoun, explained that the hero of the film “Karim” goes on a journey within two days, searching for what he loses in this wild world of safety, education, and protection.

The International Day for the Abolition of Child Labor, which the UN has designated June 12th of each year as a day to celebrate, aims to stimulate the growing global movement against child labor, and to emphasize the link between social justice and child labor to prove the possibility of achieving change.

Najla Khoury