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They are still dreaming | Lars Schmidt & Maren Elise Skjerlie Gilling | TEDxAarhus


[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
they cry they ask for help
they cry they ask for help they don’t play because children under
they don’t play because children under
they don’t play because children under run from war forgot how to and
run from war forgot how to and
run from war forgot how to and eventually they stop crying and they
eventually they stop crying and they
eventually they stop crying and they stop asking for help millions of
stop asking for help millions of
stop asking for help millions of children are on the run from the war in
children are on the run from the war in
children are on the run from the war in Syria but they have no voice they are
Syria but they have no voice they are
Syria but they have no voice they are silent and they are hidden hidden behind
silent and they are hidden hidden behind
silent and they are hidden hidden behind figures numbers and statistics and even
figures numbers and statistics and even
figures numbers and statistics and even sometimes silenced by the Mediterranean
sometimes silenced by the Mediterranean
sometimes silenced by the Mediterranean Sea we traveled back and forth to the
Sea we traveled back and forth to the
Sea we traveled back and forth to the Syrian border to document the lives of
Syrian border to document the lives of
Syrian border to document the lives of the refugee children we meet them we
the refugee children we meet them we
the refugee children we meet them we talk to them and we photograph them and
talk to them and we photograph them and
talk to them and we photograph them and one thing that overshadows all other
one thing that overshadows all other
one thing that overshadows all other issues is a story about separation from
issues is a story about separation from
issues is a story about separation from family and from friends today which has
family and from friends today which has
family and from friends today which has your story about two ordinary boys
your story about two ordinary boys
your story about two ordinary boys Mustafa and up to Varman they live
Mustafa and up to Varman they live
Mustafa and up to Varman they live normal lives they both grew up in Syria
normal lives they both grew up in Syria
normal lives they both grew up in Syria they went to school played with their
they went to school played with their
they went to school played with their friends and did their homework but then
friends and did their homework but then
friends and did their homework but then came the wall and forced upon the two
came the wall and forced upon the two
came the wall and forced upon the two boys or two very different destinies
Mustafa he lives in Denmark now he left
Mustafa he lives in Denmark now he left Syrian bought a sheep with his father
Syrian bought a sheep with his father
Syrian bought a sheep with his father holding his one hand and him holding his
holding his one hand and him holding his
holding his one hand and him holding his teddy in the other the teddy was
teddy in the other the teddy was
teddy in the other the teddy was actually the only thing he brought with
actually the only thing he brought with
actually the only thing he brought with him behind him he left bombs devastation
him behind him he left bombs devastation
him behind him he left bombs devastation in a wall but he also left behind his
in a wall but he also left behind his
in a wall but he also left behind his home his family and his friends and like
home his family and his friends and like
home his family and his friends and like any other child and run from war he’s
any other child and run from war he’s
any other child and run from war he’s afraid
afraid
afraid afraid of the new and unknown places he
afraid of the new and unknown places he
afraid of the new and unknown places he will come to and afraid to become a
will come to and afraid to become a
will come to and afraid to become a stranger among strangers
stranger among strangers
stranger among strangers Mustapha he traveled for thousands of
Mustapha he traveled for thousands of
Mustapha he traveled for thousands of kilometers before he finally reached the
kilometers before he finally reached the
kilometers before he finally reached the Danish border and he arrived exhausted
Danish border and he arrived exhausted
Danish border and he arrived exhausted hungry and scared but now Mustafa goes
hungry and scared but now Mustafa goes
hungry and scared but now Mustafa goes to a Danish girl and his teachers they
to a Danish girl and his teachers they
to a Danish girl and his teachers they try to embrace him and give him a normal
try to embrace him and give him a normal
try to embrace him and give him a normal childhood but even though he feels safe
childhood but even though he feels safe
childhood but even though he feels safe in Denmark he’s still miss Syria and he
in Denmark he’s still miss Syria and he
in Denmark he’s still miss Syria and he worries about his friends back home
worries about his friends back home
worries about his friends back home Abdul amin lives in Turkey we met him
Abdul amin lives in Turkey we met him
Abdul amin lives in Turkey we met him close to the Syrian border and we took
close to the Syrian border and we took
close to the Syrian border and we took his picture Muhammad told us about his
his picture Muhammad told us about his
his picture Muhammad told us about his escape in the night from Syria into
escape in the night from Syria into
escape in the night from Syria into Turkey it was only seven years old he
Turkey it was only seven years old he
Turkey it was only seven years old he was afraid afraid of the dark afraid of
was afraid afraid of the dark afraid of
was afraid afraid of the dark afraid of the soldiers afraid not to make it to
the soldiers afraid not to make it to
the soldiers afraid not to make it to the other side and even afraid to be
the other side and even afraid to be
the other side and even afraid to be shot at but Abdullah Minh is still
shot at but Abdullah Minh is still
shot at but Abdullah Minh is still dreaming
dreaming
dreaming it’s dreaming about the Syria that he
it’s dreaming about the Syria that he
it’s dreaming about the Syria that he once knew when he lies in bed at night
once knew when he lies in bed at night
once knew when he lies in bed at night he told us that he’s still trying to
he told us that he’s still trying to
he told us that he’s still trying to remember what it was like to live back
remember what it was like to live back
remember what it was like to live back home but again he’s afraid that
home but again he’s afraid that
home but again he’s afraid that everything he knew had been bombed and
everything he knew had been bombed and
everything he knew had been bombed and that he will never be able to return so
that he will never be able to return so
that he will never be able to return so we left the Syrian border and went back
we left the Syrian border and went back
we left the Syrian border and went back to Denmark we made a photo exhibition
to Denmark we made a photo exhibition
to Denmark we made a photo exhibition and we call it they are still dreaming
and we call it they are still dreaming
and we call it they are still dreaming with the pictures and the stories of the
with the pictures and the stories of the
with the pictures and the stories of the Syrian children and out of the thousands
Syrian children and out of the thousands
Syrian children and out of the thousands of thousands of pictures we took 15 was
of thousands of pictures we took 15 was
of thousands of pictures we took 15 was selected for the exhibition the picture
selected for the exhibition the picture
selected for the exhibition the picture of of the Walkman was one of them we
of of the Walkman was one of them we
of of the Walkman was one of them we invited a Danish school class to our
invited a Danish school class to our
invited a Danish school class to our exhibition ‘mine and I were there to
exhibition ‘mine and I were there to
exhibition ‘mine and I were there to talk about the pictures and of course to
talk about the pictures and of course to
talk about the pictures and of course to tell the stories on behalf of the
tell the stories on behalf of the
tell the stories on behalf of the and children and one of the kids who
and children and one of the kids who
and children and one of the kids who came to the exhibition was masterful
came to the exhibition was masterful
came to the exhibition was masterful most of I was walking around in between
most of I was walking around in between
most of I was walking around in between our pictures and suddenly he stops he
our pictures and suddenly he stops he
our pictures and suddenly he stops he stops in front of one of the pictures
stops in front of one of the pictures
stops in front of one of the pictures and he freezes and then he called my
and he freezes and then he called my
and he freezes and then he called my name I went up to Mustafa and I saw he
name I went up to Mustafa and I saw he
name I went up to Mustafa and I saw he was crying I put my arms around him and
was crying I put my arms around him and
was crying I put my arms around him and then he was but I know him
then he was but I know him
then he was but I know him that’s my good friend Abdul Amin from
that’s my good friend Abdul Amin from
that’s my good friend Abdul Amin from Syria suddenly he was no longer among
Syria suddenly he was no longer among
Syria suddenly he was no longer among strangers a friend from back home was
strangers a friend from back home was
strangers a friend from back home was staring on the picture just in front of
staring on the picture just in front of
staring on the picture just in front of him was the fir is still dreaming
him was the fir is still dreaming
him was the fir is still dreaming dreaming about being reunited in the
dreaming about being reunited in the
dreaming about being reunited in the peaceful Syria in you together with his
peaceful Syria in you together with his
peaceful Syria in you together with his friend Abdul Rahman inshallah
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]

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