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Reema, There and Back

Filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont's documentary presents Reema, a lively and sensitive young girl confronted with difficult questions about her identity. After spending the first 16 years of her life with her Canadian mother, Reema re-connects with her Iraqi father by spending 2 months with him in Jordan. On returning home to Nova Scotia, she realizes she will always have a double identity, and that it is both a burden and a treasure.
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Filmmaker Paul Émile d'Entremont's documentary presents Reema, a lively and sensitive young girl confronted with difficult questions about her identity. After spending the first 16 years of her life with her Canadian mother, Reema re-connects with her Iraqi father by spending 2 months with him in Jordan. On returning home to Nova Scotia, she realizes she will always have a double identity, and that it is both a burden and a treasure.

Families Developing Countries Cultural Diversity and Multiculturalism Social Issues All subjects
Family Stories All channels
  • participation
    Reema Al-Khoja
    Elizabeth Stuart
    Tamara Al-Khoja
    Ali Al-Khoja
    Samia Al-Khoja
    Sami Al-Khoja
    Saadoun Al-Khoja
    Difaf Al-Khoja
  • research
    Paul Émile d'Entremont
  • script
    Paul Émile d'Entremont
  • direction
    Paul Émile d'Entremont
  • cinematography
    Ali Reggab
  • sound recording
    Georges Hannan
    Bruce LaPointe
  • editing
    Patricia Tassinari
  • sound editing
    Esther Auger
  • mixing
    Shelley Craig
  • original music
    Daniel Toussaint
  • music recording studio
    Daniel Toussaint
  • sound effects
    Stéphane Cadotte
  • sound effects - assistant
    Lyne Taillon
  • sound effects recording
    Geoffrey Mitchell
  • digitization
    Denis Gathelier
  • online editing
    Denis Pilon
  • technical support - digital editing
    Isabelle Painchaud
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • computer graphics
    Louise Overy
  • script consultant
    Diane Poitras
  • translation
    Robert Chidiac
    Claude Dallaire
  • subtitles
    Claude Dallaire
  • additional photography
    Kent Nason
    Paul Émile d'Entremont
    Glenn Walton
    Reema Al-Khoja
  • photography assistance
    Mohamed Mohessin
  • driver
    Salameh A Tartouri
    Saleh Abdelyaman
  • still photographer
    Paul Émile d'Entremont
  • supervision for additional music
    Daniel Toussaint
  • marketing
    Mia Desroches
  • marketing assistant
    Karine Sévigny
  • administration
    Johanne Dubuc
    Colette Allain
  • administrative support
    Mélanie LeBlanc
    Marie-Josée Lavoie
    Christine Aubé
  • technical coordination
    Brigitte Sénéchal
    Andrée Delagrave
  • line production
    Murielle Rioux-Poirier
  • executive producer
    Jacques Turgeon
  • producer
    Jacques Turgeon

Education

Ages 14 to 17

Notes

Have a class discussion on Elizabeth's decision to leave Iraq with only one daughter. Students could also respond with a journal entry. Compare women's role in society in North America and in Iraq. What are the differences? Invite a Muslim woman to come in and speak to the class about a woman's role in Iraq (expectations concerning jobs, family, etc.). Do you think that if Reema had been more educated from a young age about her Iraqi culture she would not be so judgemental about certain aspects of it? Before assigning the following project, bring students' attention to this website where a comparison of eastern and western cultures and beliefs are compared. Group students and have them research an eastern culture then present their findings.

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Reema, There and Back
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