FIRAS EL HALLAK

A collaboration endeavor between Filmmaker Firas El Hallak, architect Saja Amro, and OKAN students. This multifaceted project defies conventional boundaries, diving deep into the intersections of education, cultural disparities, and spatial design, ultimately manifesting in a captivating looping display at photo booths throughout the city.

The collaboration with OKAN students results in a collage-style video essay, amplifying an array of experiences. Centered around themes of education, cultural inequities, and urban expectations, this video essay serves as a catalyst for contemplation, evoking reflections on the metaphorical ‘castles’ representing unfulfilled aspirations within communities. By engaging in both linguistic and artistic expression at ‘de toren van babel’, OKAN students contribute profoundly to a richer understanding of their own journeys and aspirations.

 

At its essence, Amro’s meticulous research into the impact of spatial design on social dynamics within educational environments adds a critical dimension to the project. Through her examination of seating configurations, lighting nuances, and color schemes, Amro disrupts the entrenched hierarchies pervasive in conventional educational systems, offering a compelling challenge to the status quo.