One Week in Lebanon

A piece I shot whilst visiting Refugees in Lebanon in January 2016. Spending time with families in the Shatila camp, in west Beirut, and also a Syrian camp nearer the Syrian border in the Bekaa valley.

It was a privilege to have spent the time with such welcoming people, opening their doors to us and talking with us over some tea.

In these camps most families only have one communal room as their house. One family we met had 5 children and the 2 parents sharing a one room house no bigger than 3m sq. Ofcourse these houses are not built to the standard we are accustomed to in the western world, they lack insulation and proper ventilation, which leads to damp and mound problems. Lebanon also has a serious electricity problem, it's off more than it is on. So you can imagine in the winter just how cold these houses get with no electricity to power the portable heaters.

Palestinian refugees are discriminated in Lebanese society. They cannot legally buy property, nor work in over 70 professions. So how are they ever going to leave these camps that were initially set up as temporary accommodation? How are they meant to provide a better life for their kids?

This film captures some of the sites we've seen and the people we met.

This trip wouldn't have been possible without the help of SponsorShatila.org , a charity run by my friend Josh Eaves, that give aid and hope to people that need it. See how you can support by visiting their site.

Camera:
Panasonic GH4 - shooting HD at 50fps for slow motion shots or 4K at 25fps. All shot with the LUMIX f2.8 12-35mm lens with a variable ND on the end.

Edited in Adobe Premier and After Effects CS6

Thanks
Kriss

Cast: Kristian Hampton

Tags: Lebanon, Beirut, Refugee, Refugees, Shatila, Syria, Syrians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Refugee Crisis and Crisis