- whew! (horse nickers) (horse gallops) i want tbe beautiful. - [priyali] you want to be beaut - yes! - you are beautiful. - as if my soul belongs to my country, to my country, to my?

- [priyali] to your country, to - [scott] remember, stay looking at the camera. - okay. to my country, to my land. (speaking in foreign language) - my name is sakina hoshimi and i'm 17 years old, and i'm from afghanistan. i was born in iran and i grew up i didn't see there, afghanistan. my family, they moved to germany i miss them. and yes, it's very difficult for me to live alone. i didn't want to start from the learning a new culture and learning a new language.

(calm music) (pigeons coo) (pigeon wings flutter) (indistinct crosstalk) - [priyali] people are telling s about refugees all the time nowadays, right? but we wanted to do something where you get to tell your own s what we will do is we will only how to tell that story. as refugees, you're already at r but as woman, you're more at ris because you're not only a refuge but you're also marginalized further as being a woman. i want each one of you to come u with one word that you identify the most with. for example, if i had to think o that i really relate to most, is which is why the project is call

azadi in farsi means freedom, ri - [nour] my word is strong. i didn't know how to start my st because i didn't know from where should i start. - [priyali] the idea was to do something for the women, in general, at refugee camps. so i thought about starting with skills training, which would increase their employability, as well, and make them more productive for the host communities or the host countries. (nour laughs) what we're doing is focused on multimedia storytelling. storytelling is a beautiful thin because it's not only empowering, it's informing, it's entertaining and it's also therapeutic. - okay, what do you think? (gentle guitar music) so tap it so that it's locked. you can tell her to one. - one, two, three. - hello, my name is sakina, and i'm from afghanistan. i'm 17 years old. and my word is confidence.

(sakina laughs) sorry! - okay, should... hello, my name is nour, and i'm from palestine. i'm 16 years old, and my word is - [scott] yeah, okay, okay, let' - hello, my name is farahnaz. - [scott] you can look right her - okay, sorry. okay. hello, my name is farahnaz, i am from afghanistan. i am 24 years old, i have two ch i choose a word, it was opportun - very good, very good. - so, your story is what you hav but how are you going to make one line into a story, right? because what you write out of that story is what you wi and then we will make a video of it, right? so before you film, you will wri so what you will write is the script for your film. all these girls wanted to change the narrative

that people have around refugees that it's only victimization, that it's only them telling a sa about what their life is about them fleeing. all that these girls wanted to f on how they are trying. and a lot of them didn't even want to be called refugees. (car engines rev) (bicycle chain rattles) (speaking in foreign language) - she's my daughter, ghazal. and he is my son, amir, amir ali and he is a friend, his name is - sa'id? - yes. because i'm going to work now and no one is stay here, he came to take care of my child i'm living an athens in an apart and i'm living with my husband with my two children. (speaking in foreign language)

in afghanistan, women are not fr they are not allowed to go to sc they are not allowed to go outsi - bye bye! - [farahnaz] bye bye. - see you tomorrow, bless you! - [farahnaz] god bless you. but in greece, i like because i i can continue my lesson, i can go everywhere i want. this is very important. not only for me, for all women. (children indistinctly talk) (farahnaz murmurs) i have a lot of dreams, and my goal is especially, i want to be an independent pers especially for women, it's very, very important. (catchy guitar music) (speaking in foreign language) - [sakina] me and mahboubeh, we are good friends.

i love her, she is so talented and she's amazing. i was jealous with iranian peopl i hated them. yes, mahboubeh is iranian, but y when i moved to greece, i unders they have good people and bad pe and mahboubeh is good, really go i love her. (bird chirps) (speaking in foreign language) i practice my english with this and i'm writing the words for, i don't know, for how many times? (chuckles) but i am writing. - [scott] there's more! - yes, a lot of stuff. - look at all that, oh my goodness. - yeah, i'm writing. - [scott] how many pages are the (sakina laughs) - i want to be a lawyer.

- [hanna] what was the other thing you said you wanted to be, but you feel like you can - ah. before when i was child, i wanted to be police and commander. i still i want, but i can't beca i don't know, they told me i should be citizen here. and i want to study for lawyer, i think it's better. (speaking in foreign language) wow! - hmm. (mahboubeh tongue clicks) - when i was in iran, i never felt i am human. i just felt i'm robot and i had to work and...

(somber music) (exhales sharply) they called me afghan dirty. we couldn't travel in iran because we were afghanistan. and i hated my country because i was born a refugee, why? because we had war there for 40 and they didn't get tired. but i am tired, as a refugee. we don't have good identity ther for example, id card, we should pay for id card. because we are a big family and my father couldn't pay.

that's why i decided to work when i was nine years old. (machine squeaks) when i was 15, feeling we unders my little sister had a heart pro the nurse told my father, "because you are afghanistanian, we cannot surgery your daughter' because you don't have id card. and you don't have any identity. after that, my parents, they decided to move in europe. and i was so happy, and i didn't afraid of the mountains and the difficult ways and i said, "it's better."

- [priyali] so, sakina is going to start in the theater, reading a line from her favorite book of khaled hosseini. so that is her b-roll. how can we show that she decided to stay back and not join her parents in germ (speaking in foreign language) - she has an idea. she said that i can choose to, w i have two ways, and everybody going to that way, and i choose to go my way. - [priyali] that's a great visua choose a different street. okay, so nour's script, we need nour starts by saying that she's 16 years old and she is from palestine. and she knows that she's very yo and that life is difficult, but things will get better.

so, what can we do? do you want to shoot this in a refugee camp? - i'm thinking to start it from - [priyali] that's a great idea, start at the sea. - i came from lebanon to syria, and from syria to turkey, from turkey to greece. my mom, she was putting my brother on her back. he was so small. (somber music) imagine, it was so cold and rain (rain patters) i think that, also at night, maybe i was walking and there are dead people. i was scared from everything, even from the darkness. how did i walk there? i can't believe that. but my mom, she was telling me, "okay, let's go, let's go, quick and from car to car, from car to we tried two times in the sea. (wave crashes) we were in small boat and we were 55 people.

when i arrived there, i didn't believe that i still alive with my family. because i always wanted just to what is behind the sea? what is a greece? (wind blows) when i was in lebanon, i was seeing all the doors closed. i didn't know what to do, i didn't know what i want to be for the future, i didn't know how to continue my education. but here, i can dream for the fu dream what i want to be. english teacher, travel, helping (waves softly crash) oh my gosh! oh! this is the beach where i come when i feel not good. when i was in lesbos also, in th

also i used to go to the beach t and just throw some rocks and to throw all my bad memories. when i came to athens, i found t and you can say that this is my i come here and i throw everythi that i don't want at all and then i feel comfortable and strong again. (catchy instrumental music) and yet, if you ask me, i feel palestine in my blood. uh-huh. ooh! - that's okay. - click edit. - edit. - [priyali] okay. now, what if we do high contrast (speaking in foreign language) yeah let's try high contrast. - yes. - you think it's okay? - [scott] you see what i'm going for there? - let's play the shot and see. - [scott] that works! - [priyali] see if you find mist - [narges] my name is narges ami and i am ambitious. - maybe just a little more. there.

- [priyali] what do you think? - i like it. - and maybe we start it with you actually saying, "good morning, good morning." and we can hear you say that, and then we start in with your n what do you think? i think that would be very good. there we go, that's such a beaut - [farahnaz] yeah, this is nice. - oh, my god! as an afghan girl, this quote gives me hope. my name is sakina hoshimi, and my newfound identity makes me confident. - whoa, very good-- - keep sitting! (all laugh) how is it? - i think it's great! - okay. but it's important for you to realize how great it is. do you feel it? - yeah, i thought, yeah. - that's a great shot! - thank you. - the journey, it was very bad. it was very, very bad. the snow was on the ground, (somber music) my children, they didn't wear warm clothes. my son, he was crying a lot and he was saying, "i am cold, i am cold!"

we arrived at 11 o'clock in the the weather was very good, the water was very good, but the problem was, the boat wa and i saw a smuggler, he is usin and i said, "okay, i don't want and he said, "no, you have to go, you have to go." and when we became close to gree and the water comes in on the bo and i was sat on the floor and i was wet until here. and i was scared, and all the somalian people, they were reading quran and they were crying. (ghazal teases) today, i took my son to school and he was very happy.

he very exciting. i feel good, i feel happy. yes, the important thing, if mis she couldn't find this school fo he will stay one year without ed and it is not good for him. (train wheels squeal) in afghanistan, the people, they know women are weak. but me, i don't want the people to say to me that she is weak. i want to be strong, i want to be independent, i want to make a better life for my children. (speaking in foreign language) - i have interview today for thi and my school will start on octo in october? my school will start in october.

yes. oh, my god! i love school and i want to stud and i like to learn new things. i did the interview in greek. before, when i did the interview, i had stress. but when i came there, i understand their questions and i answered. now, i didn't have stress. it was good. i think so. i think so, i was good in my interview, in my school. they said, "we will call you." but i feel i did good. when i was coming in greece, i didn't have confidence, you kn i didn't talk to people. i felt shy or weak,

because i didn't know any langua and i went to the theater, the theater helped me to have co (speaking in foreign language) he help me. - i can help, yeah? - yeah. - okay. (speaking in foreign language) (speaking in foreign language) - they told me without book, without book, i read it! but you know, i didn't remember i will forget! - [audience member] try it, go, (speaking in foreign language)

- oh, my god! (light instrumental music) - the last one is nice, serious, - [scott] okay, welcome to every to come see our little screening of these films. our students have worked really hard on them and they're very proud, and they should be, that's 'cause they are very good okay, here we go. (waves softly crash) - [nour] i am 16 years old and i am from palestine, but i have never been there. and yet, if you ask me, i feel palestine in my blood, as if my soul belongs to my land (train wheels squeal)

i was born a refugee in lebanon, and came to greece two years ago i know the problems of being a r being without papers. i'm still very young, but life has already taught me the most important lesson, everything will pass. for a long time, all i wanted is a safe place to forget my own bad memories. i teach other refugee children. i also show them how to dance and do parties for them. i also play football, i love it, it's my life. i met a famous french football player one day. i was so happy! at the age of 16, i know one thi that it's always better to look ahead in life. be yourself, be positive, smile love your family, and don't forget to study. enjoy every moment in your life.

remember my words, everything wi my name is nour omran and i'm st (audience cheers) - [priyali] nour, you okay? (audience laughs) (nour sniffles) sakina. - ah yes, my turn. (audience laughs) (speaking in foreign language)

- bravo! (light music) - [sakina] as an afghan girl, (sakina squeals) this quote gives me hope. an education is very important to me to have a good future and also to help the country that i live in. i am 17 years old and my family to germany two months ago. many refugees want to go to germ but i chose to stay back. you may wonder why. imagine learning in a new language over and over again. i came to greece three years ago, and to go to school, i had to learn greek and english today, i know both the languages and i go to school. i could not imagine moving again starting at a refugee camp, learning a new culture, another language, and starting school all over again. i was born a refugee,

and i know what a loss of identi all i hoped was that one day when i go to school, no one look at me as an afghan r and would think of me as part of their community. today, i have a passport and i a this is my identity. my name is sakina hoshimi, and my newfound identity makes me confident. (audience cheers) - hello, good morning. now i'm coming to wake up amir. (hopeful music) the story you hear about refugee is the story of their journey, their struggle yes, that is my story too, but my story is more than that. as a refugee woman in a new coun

every day i try to learn something new, educate myself, be independent, and be a good mo this is my life, and my home, my my son, amir, was two years old when he came here. and my daughter, ghazal, was one today, they both speak english a i myself, i am taking language classes, english and greek. i also earn my own money by working as a caregiver for other refugee children, but i want to do more. that is why i am also training to be a mother and infants caregiver. i want a better life for me, my children, and my family. and i will patiently try to achieve my goals. my name is farahnaz ahmadi, i am hopeful for a better life. (audience cheers)

- [scott] well done, good job. - [priyali] farahnaz, very well your story really inspires me. yes. (gentle instrumental music) you're a very strong woman. ♪ try to make our way home ♪

♪ to make our way home ♪ ♪ but the journey is round ♪ ♪ from the sky to the sea ♪ ♪ from the air to the ground ♪

(car horn honks) (distant siren wailing) (soft, indistinguishable chatter) (car stereo thumps)