Rania Rafeï and Salim Mourad, Lebanese film makers / photo: Helle Nordberg, IMS

After a wirlwind introduction to Danish filmmaking during their first two weeks in Copenhagen, Lebanese film makers Rania Rafeï and Salim Mourad share their first impressions with International Media Support

Independent film maker Rania Rafeï (30) and Salim Mourad (21), a film student of the IESAV Beirut Film Institute are spending five weeks in Copenhagen Copenhagen interacting with Danish film professionals and producing a 30 minute documentary as part of IMS' film student exchange programme.

Their visit is part of International Media Support’s Arab Programme which connects media workers in Denmark and the Arab world as a means to benefit both media environments and further intercultural understanding.

Using the camera as a pen

- Our first weeks in Copenhagen have been challenging and emotionally intense, says Rania.

- Our introduction to the city has been through a camera lens under the direction of Danish film director Arne Bro who led a five-day course. On our first day we were told to go out into the streets and make a film diary. We were encouraged to use the camera as a pen, essentially learning by doing. The fact that there was no pressure of an audience allowed us to grow and have fun.

The world’s happiest country

For Salim Mourad, visiting Denmark was a unique opportunity to make a film in another country and gain a new vision of film-making.

- I had read that Danish people supposedly are the happiest in the world according to  international surveys, and that interested me, he says.

- Something I did notice during my first days in Copenhagen was the beautiful pictures you can take around the city. But you also feel the coldness, the weight of the system. Remember, we come from a system of chaos.

Rania agrees.

- Everything invites you in Copenhagen, but at the same time there is a big distance between you and the city. You have to work hard to get to people and understand the different body language.

A 30 minute film about life

Both Rania and Salim have strong ideas about the focus of their personal 30 minute documentaries resulting from their visit.

- I’m interested in focusing on couples who are separating, what the terms of expression are between the parties in a relationship breaking up in Denmark. I would like to find one couple and put them in a studio.

Salim’s interest is two-pronged, looking both at conflicts between traditional and non-traditional religions in Denmark as well as the feeling of exile within a new city as a foreigner.

Raniä and Salim’s productions will be shown on festivals around Lebanon in the course of 2010 and will be shared with the three Danish film students currently on a similar exchange type filming mission in Beirut.

As part of  IMS’ Arab Programme three Danish film students are currently filming in Lebanon with the same aim of producing a film. Both during and after the film productions, the students from both countries will meet and exchange ideas and methods. Read about Danish film student Sun Hee’s visit to Lebanon here.