Mahmoud al Massad

A filmmaker documents the final days of a crumbling cinema in Jordan, revealing personal stories during regional upheaval, and a quiet reflection on loss, memory, and resilience amid larger collapses.

In support of World Refugee Day, We Were Here is an original documentary series from YouTube and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, that seeks to challenge stereotypes and perceptions about refugees by focusing on what unites us rather than sets us apart - our shared passions. This episode features YouTube inventor Simone Giertz and toymaker and Syrian refugee Mohammad, currently living in Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.

Imprisoned on an unfair charge of fraud, a mild-mannered Jordanian contractor discovers that prison has its own rhythms, rules, and economies — and he soon begins to carve out a position for himself in this place where fraud isn’t a crime so much as a way of life.

Before leaving to settle abroad, Ahmad accepts one last job. He must audition actors for the new National Palestinian Theatre. On the road with interviewer Bissan and her cameraman Loumir, Ahmad goes in search of talent in the numerous refugee camps of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Hopefully for the last time, Ahmad experiences the insurmountable difficulties of life in Palestine: harassing searches at check points and borders, barricades, constant tension. He realizes the destiny of all waiting refugees is much the same as his own. He ends up guiding the auditioning actors into dramatizing what best embodies their destiny. But with the chance to catch his plane at risk, Ahmad could see the opportunity for his long-awaited exile slip away.