Jamila and Adnan Bayyoud

JAMILA & ADNAN'S STORY

Jamila and Adnan were only 5 and 6 when their home was destroyed by a missile on the second day of the Iraq war. They fled the house before the missile struck, but their elder brother, Malik, was badly burned and their father killed. "Our dad was the best one in all Iraq", says Adnan, "But the Americans came and killed him. We found him dead in the morning." The children now live on the streets in Jordan, scraping a living selling second-hand American shoes: "We wear our shoes till they fall apart, but they just throw theirs away". Meanwhile in Baghdad, brother Malik has managed to get the vital medical certificate he needs to make his ninth attempt at crossing into Jordan. Jamila and Adnan get a taxi to the border, hoping to be reunited with their brother.

JAMILA & ADNAN'S QUOTES

"One day very early in the morning - really it was still night - tanks started coming. All that day
and the next day too. Tanks, tanks, tanks." ADNAN

"I never want to see Americans again. I have fire in my heart because they killed our dad." ADNAN

"I used to play with my friends at school. I was learning to read and write.
I’d like to study here, but I’m not allowed." JAMILA

CRUDE DIARY ENTRIES
"I hope there's no more war in Iraq"
"Nooni"

JAMILA & ADNAN'S VIDEO

This is a short intro to Jamila and Adnan from an early rough cut of the film.
The real thing will no doubt be very different, but this is the general idea.

JAMILA & ADNAN'S PICTURES - click on images for larger version

Adnan and Jamila with filmmakers Franny & Lizzie	Jamila and younger sister Noor playing in the sand

Jamila showing off