05: Telling Their Stories

Guest: Faten AlFaraj

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Faten AlFaraj joins us to share about the making of documentaries and her new feature-length film Life Jacket, telling the stories of refugees on the island of Lesvos, Greece.  Learn how Faten's motto - making a difference through media - guides her work and her life.



  • "Documentaries are more authentic.  They tell the story the way it is without polishing it."
  • "Documentaries are there to make a change, to encourage people to see the truth, to see it the way it is, and make a change around that certain issue.  I love that authenticity."
  • "Sometimes it's not a huge statement, but in a small way where you highlight the truth, highlight what's wrong, bring a different perspective to things... Just to have this conversation is part of making a difference."
  • Five steps of making a documentary: development, pre-production, production, post-production, distribution
  • "It gets more personal when they start sharing their story, when they start getting vulnerable in front of you and entrusting you with their story.  That's when you feel that you need to cherish that sensitive information and really handle it with care."
  • Life Jacket is a new feature-length film about refugees on the island of Lesvos, Greece.
  • "We need to hear their side of their story. I felt like it's about time to shed a light on this issue and just listen to them."
What's changing our lives:
  • Keane: Life Jacket Film
  • Heather: Small group study of Acts
  • Faten: Discerning what's next
Weekly Spotlight: Beyond Borders, Greece

Find out more about Life Jacket film screenings here.

We'd love it if you would subscribe, rate, review, and share this show!  And as always, you can reach us at podcast@teachbeyond.org. See you next Friday!
11 Jun 20
by kfine

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