In 2014, Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq’s film “Karama Has No Walls,” an account of the March 18, 2011 massacre of 53 protesters gathering for prayers by the Yemeni government, was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary short film. Shihab Masri, a 27-year-old resident of Sanaa, believes the nomination was a turning point for Yemenis trying to develop their country’s cinema scene. Almost all the cinemas in Yemen have closed over the years due to conflict, neglect, or targeting by conservative religious authorities. Local filmmakers, however, want to improve their technical expertise and Yemeni youth yearn for any contact to international films and the outside world they display.

Shihab is now the assistant director of the Shift Initiative, an eight-person organization that was established in February 2015, a month before Yemen’s most recent iteration of civil war began. Shift aims to tackle the issues facing Yemeni cinema through organizing film screenings and discussions to educate Yemenis about cinema and to provide a venue for local filmmakers to show and develop their work. Through their message “Cinema comes to you,” Shift helps to build Yemen’s cinema scene and to provide opportunities for residents of Sanaa to get exposure to new films and the social issues that are discussed. Speaking with AGSIW, Shihab discussed the state of Yemeni cinema, the challenges Shift is trying to tackle, and the rising popularity of its events, even in time of open war.

AGSIW: Describe the state of Yemen’s film scene.

Shihab: Since the civil war broke out in 1994, Yemeni cinemas have been closed for several reasons so there have not been many opportunities for Yemenis to watch films. As for domestic film production, most resources have gone into making television shows instead of film. Youth have made some short films with simple equipment. Ishaq’s raw “Karama Has No Walls” really showed us the power of film. We realized we had been missing good filmmaking all this time, and more and more Yemenis began to start making short films.

AGSIW: What inspired you all to start Shift? What gap did it fill in contributing to Yemen’s film heritage?

Shihab: When a lot of my friends would travel abroad, they would always take out time to head to cinemas. My friends love to watch movies and I personally watch, on average, four films a day. Film provides a much needed escape from the challenges we face on a daily basis here in Yemen. One participant at a recent event told me after the screening, “I felt like I was outside Yemen. You made us forget the war.” But the films Shift screens also encourage young Yemenis to take greater action in their community.

AGSIW: Describe the format of your typical events.

Shihab: Until now, we have held 39 events, which were mostly film screenings. We have had to postpone or cancel a number of times due to the fighting and blackouts. Typically, in each event, we screen two films. We choose one Yemeni and one non-Yemeni film that share a connection. Most people come for the non-Yemeni film, but also end up getting exposure to films coming out of Yemen, providing opportunities for emerging local talent. We also try to invite filmmakers and staff to engage with the audience in a discussion where technical issues related to film can be discussed as well as the themes and issues explored within the film. A community of film lovers is starting to form.

AGSIW: How do you reach out to people to attend your events?

Shihab: Our audience continues to rise in every event we hold. Whenever we don’t hold an event for some reason, we always have new people reaching out and asking when the screening will be held. We create flyers for each screening that contain all the relevant information: photos from the selected films, our co-sponsors, location, and date. We also promote heavily through our Facebook page and encourage new audience member participation by offering free popcorn. We also gather feedback after the event to get opinions on the films and themes selected. Often people hang around long after the screening to analyze the ideas discussed in the films.

AGSIW: Tell us about some recent events organized by Shift.

Shihab: Shift aims to organize all types of events, and we are always getting feedback from audience members so we can better suit their needs. We do, however, feature two event series on a near-weekly basis. We have our series, Kids Show, which we have done 15 events so far for kids ages five to 16. Our last three events for Kids Show featured themes including peace building, education, and nature conservation. Our main program is CinéShow, which we have done 24 events so far for adults. Most recently, we screened and discussed “Miracles from Heaven” and the Yemeni short film “A Question Mark” at the Arab Forum for Arts to an audience of over two hundred people. Right before that, we had an event as part of the graduation ceremony of the Cultural Center in Sanaa where two short films were shown to over two hundred people. We aspire for cinema to reach a level of respect similar to music and dance in the city.

AGSIW: How has the most recent outbreak of war affected your work?

Shihab: Shift was established a month before the war began, which led us to immediately stop all of our meetings and programs. Our budding partnerships with the Ministry of Culture, private companies, and international NGOs also came to an end because of the shrinking space in which we could operate and for them to fund us. However, the war has also motivated us to work even harder in organizing so that we can provide ways for Yemenis to deal with the war – whether that be through escaping it, coping with it, or just having a moment to be entertained.

AGSIW: How does the work of Shift vocalize the aspirations and concerns of Yemeni youth?

Shihab: Yemeni youth yearn to be better connected to the rest of the world. Film tended to have a negative social reputation in previous decades, but our programs help connect youth to both their homeland and to other countries through film. The screenings and lectures inspire young audience members to dream. Shift’s showcasing of locally made films and shorts can send a clear message about ownership of one’s own future and pushes the boundaries of what is possible in Yemen.

AGSIW: What are some of the other priorities of Shift?

Shihab: We haven’t held any events outside of Sanaa, which is a major priority once we have the capacity. We are also looking to improve our relationship with other organizations so that we can hold more film screenings and discussions, and provide outlets for young Yemenis to become involved in film.

For more information visit the Shift Initiative’s Facebook page.