120 places
120 places
120 places
LUMIERE
à
ZAATARI


Who Are We?
"Lumière à Zaatari"
As members of a film crew, we entered Zaatari camp - one of the largest in the world - during a film shoot in june 2017, for a few scenes. What we saw there moved us deeply and we felt compelled to do something. We decided to find a way to bring a cinema to the refugees in the camp. We wanted to leave something behind after we had gone. We didn't want to leave and then forget...
We talked about our project to the local NGOs as well as to refugees, who all encouraged our initiative. We created a non-profit organisation based in France, called « LUMIERE », a tribute to the Lumière brothers, the french inventors of cinema.
We launched a crowdfunding campaign to buy the necessary equipment to build and furbish a projection room. Donors answered our call with enthusiasm and generosity. It took many months before the project could truly take shape. We faced many obstacles, but we also had a great deal of good luck: we met people and made partnerships with organisations who helped us make the best decisions.
The support of UNICEF as well as the film production society IMAGINARIUM were decisive. We finally managed to hire a jordanian Manager, helped by a small local crew, to open, head and run the cinema.
Our first goal was to open a cinema inside the camp. We now know that this was just a first step, and that we must also find a way to run the cinema in the long term. New funding will have to be found to make this adventure possible in the long run. This is our new challenge!
The whole crew, including its newest members, is doing all it can to make what was initially just a dream come true.