It’s Not Hard

Mulham Mohamed Hidel, 2018 | MODE Istanbul & Small Projects Istanbul (Youth Video Production Workshop) (Turkey)

Synopsis:  A young Syrian man takes the audience on a walk along the old city walls in Istanbul, directly addressing the camera while telling of his struggles, how learning English and photography/video expanded his world, and how anyone can achieve their goal if they believe in themselves. Context:  This video addresses struggles common to displaced youth: the loss of friends and community, and the need to discover purpose.  Uses:  This video could be used in university courses on migration-related issues (or in relevant high school classes) to provide a counter-narrative to one-dimensional media portrayals of displaced youth. This video could also be used in media studies courses to study how Mulham subverts the‘Youtuber’genre, injecting a perspective gained from his experiences that contrasts with the triviality and narcissism of most videos in this nascent genre.