Nomadic Life Vanishes Under Concrete in Jordan

The documentary 'Concrete Land' offers an intimate look at a Palestinian Bedouin family in Jordan grappling with displacement and familial strife. Filmmaker Asmahan Bkerat dedicated eight years to documenting their lives, capturing their love, humor, and resilience. This nomadic family, a minority within a minority, faces eviction as Amman expands onto fertile agricultural land, forcing them away from their ancestral lifestyle. The film's Arabic title, Tiyaha, signifies a perpetual state of being lost, mirroring the displacement faced by Afro-Palestinians in both Jordan and Palestine. 'Concrete Land' contrasts the rigid, lifeless nature of concrete development with the vital essence of the land Bedouins inhabit, emphasizing the loss of their traditional way of life. Bkerat aims to challenge perceptions that Bedouin life equates to poverty, stressing it's a chosen lifestyle not necessarily indicative of hardship. The family has not yet seen the film, with plans to arrange a screening in Jordan and potentially bring the father and daughter to the UK for the festival. Bkerat is committed to continuing her work in documentary filmmaking, focusing on themes of displacement and water scarcity in future projects.