'Zyara to Yemen' Docuseries

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poster for Zyara to Yemen docuseries

The Arabic word “Zyara” means “visit” in English. The Zyara documentary series takes an innovative, deeply personal approach to storytelling with a view to nurturing collective social and emotional healing. Through candid encounters, it paints poetic portraits of four Yemeni refugees living in Oman, including a human rights lawyer and activist, a restaurant worker, a martial arts champion, and a businessman. By telling their stories and celebrating the resilient spirit of the Yemeni people, the Zyara project seeks to raise awareness and preserve truth and memory. 

For the first time in nine years, the Zyara team has traveled outside of Lebanon, in search of stories from Yemen. Zyara to Yemen was created in partnership with ICTJ, which works across society and borders to challenge the causes and address the consequences of massive human rights violations.

English

Mohammed Al Jlbeen is a 25-year-old professional martial arts athlete. He tries to accomplish the impossible in a land of the impossible. He pursues his passion and dreams always with the happiness of Yemen’s 40 million people in mind. All he hopes for is safety, peace, and security in his homeland.

English

Badr Al Haddad is 26 years old. He left Yemen to work at a restaurant in Muscat, Oman. He lives an honest life and strives to be the best he can. He dreams of owning his own business, and of personal and emotional stability. He wishes safety and lasting peace for his country.

English

Huda Al Sarari is a 46-year-old lawyer and the president of the Defense Foundation for Rights and Liberties. As an activist, she focuses on issues related to enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial killings. She wishes to return to Yemen and her life there. She dreams that her country will be given back to the Yemeni people soon and that justice will be achieved.

English

Taher Al Jabel is a 56-year-old businessman from Yemen. He has always believed in the power of peace, justice, reconciliation, and goodness — whether in his country or not.

English