How the Jordanian film “Salim” sheds light on the mental health of war-affected children

2023-05-24 18:38:31

The lack of attention to the mental health of children, especially in times of war, prompted Cynthia Madanat and her husband, Shadi Al-Sharaiha, to produce an animated film that deals with this suffering.

Cynthia spoke about the work, saying, “The movie ‘Salim’ is the story of a nine-year-old child who was traumatized by the war and the loss of his father. He moves to a second city and learns how to deal with psychological pressures, and at the same time walks on a journey of hope and healing.”

The film is participating in international festivals and will later be shown in cinemas and online platforms, and was nominated for participation in the Annecy International Film Festival.

Cynthia added, “The Annecy Animated Film Festival is one of the largest animation festivals in the world. It is held in Annecy, France. Every year, an average of 13,000 people participate in multiple films, and multiple films from all over the world are nominated for it.”

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For his part, Al-Sharaiha indicated that the Jordanian film “Salim” deals with the importance of shedding light on children’s mental health and the pressures they face.

He pointed out that “the reason for choosing the mental health dealt with in the film ‘Salim’ is the lack of sufficient attention to children during wars and conflicts or in the midst of trauma. Usually, when there is psychological trauma or pain, we tend to fill the basic needs of people, but the child’s mental health is often neglected.”

The couple are the founders of the company “Digitals”, which produced the film.

Al-Sharaiha believes that the animation industry will flourish in Jordan, and he said, “There is an animation film industry in Jordan, but it is very emerging, and there are universities that study this thing to show the best talents, and they are the ones who worked with us. They are graduates of Jordanian universities. I believe that the animation industry in Jordan has a very brilliant future.” Not only in the Arab world, but also in the world.