In
“Three Weeks in Burj AlBarajneh,” Katayoun
Vaziri gives an intimate perspective
on life inside a Palestinian refugee
camp in Lebanon. Funded by a Yale travel
grant, the artist spent three weeks
in the camp last summer forging relationships
with its inhabitants far beyond those
seen in most documentaries.
Vaziri portrays people who have rebuilt
their identities despite extreme adversity.
A groom gets his hair trimmed before
his wedding; his bride beams as they
cut a tiered cake. On a bus ride, women
dance as pop music swirls around them.
Some wear headscarves with Western clothing;
others have no scarves at all.
The refugees face many hardships, as
even food, water and electricity are
scarce. They can only leave the camp
under government supervision. Vaziri
interviews one woman who says the refugees
have been “forgotten,” but this documentary
attests to the vibrance of ordinary
people even-- in the most difficult
of circumstances.
