After Spring

Gr 9 Up—The Zaatari refugee camp, just over the Syrian border in Jordan, has been "temporarily" in place since 2012, with a population of about 80,000 people at the time of filming. The documentary focuses on two families—interviewing primarily husbands and children—with footage of the fighting that caused them to flee. The families live in one-room canvas structures or in caravans (prefabricated modular units). Through a variety of charitable and government funding sources, the camp has community services, social workers, medical facilities, and a "help desk," though life is full of challenges for most. Aspects of the camp are technologically crude, although Zaatari has cell phone and Internet access, a Twitter account, and a Facebook page. School is held most afternoons, though not all children attend, and a dedicated tae kwon do instructor has made a difference for many young camp residents. The film finds upbeat moments in the birth of a child or from the aid worker who knows her job makes a difference.