In the spring of 2015, Christiano leaves his war-torn home country Syria. In the summer of 2015, he arrives on the shores of the Elbe River at Wedel near Hamburg. There he meets Lukas. Cristiano writes a letter to his homeland Syria. Together they translate the text into German so that people in both countries will understand the message. At the wedel-schaedel.de poetry slam they presented their text for the first time. The audience was left speechless – listening not only to a Syrian and a German, but to two young men, two friends.
Refugees welcome!
It's not often that I get attached to my translation projects or feel they will have much of an impact in the world -- after the thousandth "Press the On/Off button to turn the device on" or "Swallowing batteries can be fatal" or "Do not place the coffee machine in the oven to dry it" I start to wonder what I'm doing with my life -- but this project was different. The video was put together by a friend of a friend, along with other talented, creative types, and as I'd done a couple other neat translation/subtitle projects with him before he asked if I'd be interested in doing the translation for this. So much has been written and debated about the migration of refugees to Europe and beyond this past year, but the intimately human aspect of the lives involved is often overshadowed by the numbers. This story is a reminder of that vitally important aspect, and I hope with fading optimism that, in this fresh, new year, my homeland will act on its founding principles and be as welcoming as its neighbor to the north.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOG-7fC53Io
This means a lot to me. Please watch it and, if you feel moved to do so or know someone who might appreciate it, please pass it along.
