Tiny Souls

Little people – adult problems. Marwa, Ayah and Mahmoud are the three brothers that the documentary filmmaker Dina Naser cast as the protagonists of her latest film, Tiny Souls, which has been exhibited at festivals such as CPH: DOX and IDFA. It is a documentary about fleeing the war in Syria, and about life as a refugee in the famous Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.

Naser started collecting material in 2012 when the children were 11, 9 and 5 years old. The documentary follows them through four long years, focusing specifically on Marwa developing from a young girl to a teenager. Since Naser didn't have the opportunity to be present and filming continuously, she provided a camera for the children to film each other while she was absent. These scenes, without an adult point-of-view, where the children's secret world is revealed, are the film's more powerful ones.

It gives hope to see that Marwa and those around her always have a smile on their face, despite the dire conditions of the refugee camp. They are curious and full of life, which gives a belief that even the most vulnerable are strong enough to move on from traumatic experiences. Tiny Souls is a warm and honest documentary about respect, friendship and love.

Inés Sánchez Benedicto

Director

Dina Naser studied a bachelor's degree in art and graphic design from the University of Jordan, and a master's in documentary film. Before she began directing her own films, she had worked on a number of TV and film productions. She previously made short films such as Shamieh (2011), Tiny Souls (2012), Daqiqa / One Minute (2015). The cinematic version of Tiny Souls has been featured at prestigious documentary festivals such as CPH: DOX and IDFA.