At a glance: Netherlands

Young Iraqi filmmaker wins 'OneMinutesJr.' Award

© Film still

A scene from winning film 'Accident'.

By  Karen Cirillo

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, 11 December 2008 – Mohammed Majid al-Ghazali, age 15, is an Iraqi currently living in Jordan. He just won the 2008 'OneMinutesJr.' award.  His winning film, Accident, was produced during a UNICEF 'OneMinutesJr.' workshop in Amman, Jordan, where youth were asked to make films that reflected the rights from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The award was given out during the One Minutes Awards ceremony in the Paradiso in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 30, 2008.  The awards are given by the One Minutes Foundation.

© Karen Cirillo

Award winner Mohammed Majid al-Ghazali

Accident tells the story of a young boy who turned to terrorism to help support his family.  His choice results in the loss of his leg.  The tale is fiction, but inspired by stories that have arisen during the current conflict in Iraq.

Mohammed's film competed with six other nominees, including five from UNICEF-sponsored workshops.  The other nominees were: Richard Issam (DRC) with Les Enfants Dits Sorciers, Gidey G and Hiwot Teka (Ethiopia) with Untitled, Lisa Namkafu (DRC) with Un Pedophile, Sabreen abu Shakra (Jordan) with We Want to Play Inside Shyngys Derbissov (Kazakhstan) with High and Low, and Janis Vitolis (Latvia) with Simple Day.

The 'OneMinutesJr.' project highlights and celebrates the diversity among youth around the world. The sixty-second videos are positive and powerful examples of the way visual arts works as a communication tool across cultural, geographic and national borders. The project is a partnership between UNICEF, The One Minutes Foundation and the European Cultural Foundation.