File: 2014-12-09-Germany-Sounds-Of-Silence-Int.Mp4

UNHCR

File: 2014-12-09-germany-sounds-of-silence-int.mp4

Title: Germany: Sounds of Silence

Location: Wachtersbach, Germany

Air Date: December , 9, 2014

Language: Nat/Arabic

Source: Zahra Mackaoui /Marc Hofer/Edith Champagne

Date Shoot: November 13, 14 & 15, 2014

Duration: 3.10

Format: 16:9

LEAD IN

Ahmad Khawan and his family are from Aleppo Syria. Before the war, he worked as an ironmonger, he had a good life and was able to support his wife and two small children. They fled their home in 2012 when the war arrived to Aleppo, finding refuge in neighbouring Lebanon. There Ahmad joined his mother, brothers and sisters, all the family members crammed into a small flat in Beirut , waiting to return to Syria.

Ahmad was able to find sporadic work in Lebanon which kept them going, but he knew there was no future for him and his family, especially for his son Abdu, who was born deaf. In Syria Abdu had one cochlear implant but his hearing aid was old. Ahmad couldn´t afford to pay for a second cochlear implant which would give Abdu the ability to hear from both sides.

In August 2014, the family heard they had been accepted for resettlement in Germany under the Humanitarian Assistance Programme. They arrived in Wachtersbäch a month later. Ahmad´s son Abdu underwent a second operation and he can now hear almost 90% with his new hearing aids. After attending a school for the hearing impaired, Abdu now goes to the local nursery with his sister Ruha (4 years old), both are learning German.

Ahmad is about to graduate from language school and hopes to find work in the town. His father and brother recently arrived in Germany as part of family re-unification programme. For the first time since the war began in Syria, Ahmad feels hope for their future.

SCRIPT

A final farewell..

Ahmad and his family are Syrian refugees who fled to Lebanon…

On this day, they are leaving again, but this time to be resettled in Germany..

It is an opportunity they desperately need….Ahmad´s son Abdu is deaf….an operation and a new hearing aid can change that.

CLIP: AHMAD, ABDU´S FATHER, (ARABIC)

‘We were living in the same house together all of us and then all of a sudden we had to travel, of course it was difficult, but then you see you have a future ahead of you for you and your children can enter into a new phase of your life. ¨

Over a year has passed since that day…Ahmad and his family now live in the town of Wachtersbäch.

They are among the thousands of Syrian refugees to have arrived in Germany so far under the humanitarian admissions programme.

Within a few months, Abdu had a second cochlea implant…and now with both hearing aids he can hear 90%.

At nursery with his little sister Ruha, he is slowly coming out of his shell.….learning to speak....in Arabic and German…

SOUNDBITE: AHMAD WITH ABDU (ARABIC)

Father: “Do you have two hearing aids? Can you hear from both ears? ”

Abdu: “Yes, one, two. ”

Ahmad is also at school, learning German.In one month he will graduate and will start looking for work

He has embraced his new life…and all its opportunities

CLIP: TIM SCHNEIDER, INTEGRATION OFFICER, CITY OF WACHTERSBACH (GERMAN)

“The Khawan family is an exemplary family, especially because Mr. Khawan who helps with translatings. We want to help refugees learn from each other, which is why we asked Mr .Khawan to help us with new arrivals in Wachtersbach. Mr. Khawan is going to school and trying hard to integrate. “

Then a month ago..more good news.

His father and brother arrived in Germany under family reunification programme..

The family..split apart by war..are slowly coming together again..

CLIP: AHMAD, ABDU´S FATHER, (ARABIC)

“God willing that they are here, but thanks to Germany foremost for bringing them here to join us. There are so many people that are forced to arrive illegally by sea or air, but we were so lucky to arrive in a peaceful and calm manner.¨

Ahmad can never forget all he fled from in Syria….but now he has a new country….a chance to work again…to educate his children and live away from the horrors of war.

Resettlement has given him a chance at so much…that they thought had been forever lost.

SHOTLIST

00:00:00 – 00:04:14 MS women crying on the window

00:04:14 – 00:09:12 MS Ahmed cries while saying farewell to his relatives

00:09:12 – 00:16:10 WS Ahmed packs bags in the boot of a car

00:16:10 – 00:20:00 MS Family gets into the car

00:20:00 – 00:26:14 CU Ahmed and Abdu

00:26:14 – 00:28:21 WS Family access the car

00:28:22 – 00:30:23 CU Family members look on as family enters car

00:30:24 – 00:37:09 Wide pan, Family drives off

00:37:10 – 00:52:12 CLIP: AHMAD, ABDU´S FATHER, (ARABIC)

00:52:12 – 01:08:21 Divers shots of Ahmed, Abdou and the little sister walking

01:08:21 – 01:13:06 CU, Abdu in the kindergarden with his cochlear implants

01:13:06 – 01:18:08 CU, Abdu busy on a table playing a game

01:18:08 – 01:28:10 Wide pan, Children singing with the teacher

01:28:10 – 01:40:10 CU, Ahmed and Abdu talking

01:40:10 – 01:55:20 Various shots of Ahmed at his school

01:55:20 – 02:11:11 CLIP: TIM SCHNEIDER, INTEGRATION OFFICER, CITY OF WACHTERSBACH (GERMAN)

02:11:11 – 02:27:08 Various with Ahmed’s parents in the flat playing with the children

02:27:08 – 02:47:15

02:47:16 – 02:51:04 CU, Feet of family member walking through autumn leaves

02:51:04 – 03:10:00 CLIP: AHMAD, ABDU´S FATHER, (ARABIC) “God willing that they are here, but thanks to Germany foremost for bringing them here to join us. There are so many people that are forced to arrive illegally by sea or air, but they made it so we could arrive in a peaceful manner.¨

03:10:00 Wide pan, Family walks away through autumn forest

ENDS