Film Club: ‘We Became Fragments’

In the Film Club: ‘We Became Fragments’ by Natalie Proulx, I felt a series of emotions. As I saw how Ibraheem had to start a new life without knowing where to begin, I was full of sadness. As I saw the pictures of the injured children, I questioned why someone would want to do such a thing. I question why there were people in the world who would be ok with killing others. Who would be able to close their eyes at night and not care or worry about a single thing. This came to surprise and greatly disturb me. As I continued to see the video and how Ibraheem had to adjust to his new high school, I connected to him. One I moved to the U.S. from Dominican Republic, I had to learn the language, customs, and forms to finally be able to adjust. This was a very difficult process for me because I felt like I didn’t belong to any group.

While I was watching this, I could feel the amount of emotion being poured out of this film. Ibraheem was a regular kid until everything changed in an instant. The moment the missiles started flying across the sky was when his innocence was taken from him. Ibrahem is trying to learn to adjust to his new school in a new place. Ibraheem has been through so much more in his 12 years of living than most of us do in our lifetime. After losing his mom and four siblings, Ibraheem was in a state of shock for almost two years. One part of this film that stood out to me is that when Ibraheem came to Canada, he had to learn English and learn a great deal of stuff to try to fit in. Ibraheem and his friend couldn’t open his locker to get his supplies, so after awhile they just gave up. In the classes Ibraheem was taking to learn English and the basic stuff, there was quite a few people in the classes. It shocks me that that many kids have had to go through what Ibraheem has been through or something that relates to that.

I watched a short 13 minutes film about a teenage boy who had to flee from his country (Syria) to Canada because there was a war. This movie was very touching. What he and his country had to go through is unthinkable. It was dangerous for him to stay there so he had to leave; he had no choice. But through all of the war he lost everything including his ability to walk normally and his family. He only had his dad by his side. There was this repetition of “we were fragments” and I think that is such a powerful statement. Everyone who fled felt broken and done for but there was hope. A lot of people lost their lives and were injured badly. “My heart burns when I tell my story” said the teenage boy but “we’ll live out with this hope”. On top of everything he had to go to a different country, to a different High School, find new friends. It must’ve been really hard. I can relate to that feeling. I had to leave my country and everything I knew and loved, Yes, it was for a different reason not because my country was in war but still it was scary.

In the Film Club video titled “ We Became Fragments” it stood out to me how Ibraheem was able to recover from losing all of his siblings and his mom. This video is a notable reminder not to take things for granted and is a perfect illustration that just because something isn't happening here doesn't mean it is not happening somewhere else. In this film, Ibraheem and his dad showed extraordinary amounts of strength and perseverance from the way they handled the loss of the rest of their family. I cannot make any direct connections between this film and my own life, but this film does remind me of the events that took place on 9/11. The message I got from this film was that no matter what happens you have to keep trying to live a successful life.

What stood out for me in the film club “we became fragments” was that Ibraheem had hope and still was pulling himself through life and kept going, he adjusted to circumstances. What surprised me was that hearing how they were sleeping and when they woke up, they were under rubble for hours, and he survived. It surprised me because even through the circumstances, he still kept going, it wasn't his time yet. A message that I understood was not to quit no matter how hard it may be, Ibraheem, although now is injured permanently, he didn’t quit. A question that I will have, is will his leg every heal.

In the film "We became fragments" shows the relationship between a boy who lives in a bad place who felt like there was nothing bad or wrong that he has not seen.What stood out to me was when he made the reference that everytime he talks about what happened his heart burns indicating that he still feels the pain from the tragic events.I feel in itself all the enduring this little boy has being through speaks volume in character because he could have given up on life.To sum all of this up I would say never take life for granted and be blessed for the people you have in your life.If I could ask a question it would be how does he still deal with the pain or how do he cope because in the video it shows that he still remembers what happen and how it makes him feel.I haven't experience any type of trauma or pain like this but my heart goes out.

In the film “We Became Fragments” by Natalie Proulx, I felt bad that Ibraheem went through that tragic and horrible event. He lost his mother and siblings and the situation with his leg. What stood out to me was how strong Ibraheem was. Even though he had to go through all these horrible events, he stayed strong and focused on becoming better. He was around my age, but he had experienced so much. I started thinking about what the United States had done. The United States had partaken in the bombing in Syria. I could not help but want to be concerned with what is happening there and the negative effects our country is doing. I started thinking, "What if this happens to me?" I know that i have a weak mindset, I would not be able to handle the trauma. This makes me admire how strong he is. It is amazing to see how someone my age can experienced something so traumatizing but be so strong and courageous.

What stood out to me was how well his was recuperating after seeing all the terrors of war. He is going to school and playing outside in the park with other kids and seems to be doing well for himself despite what he experienced. In the beginning when Ibraheem said that he had seen it all though war. I found it shocking how he said that bombs raining down from the sky was normal. Nobody in general should ever have to go through that.

In the film “We Became Fragments” one thing that really stood out to me was how he got over the loss of his brother and sisters and even his mother. Also another thing that stood out to me was how hard he worked in classwork to his very own therapy sessions to help his leg start moving more. One message I will take away from this is too always appreciate my parents because one day they could be gone forever and I would never have the chance to thank them for everything they have to for me. Also to always stay strong because I could lose everything but I would still be alive and I could others that could go threw that same situation. One question I still have is how they put that new bone in his leg and how much its grown? Also, I want to know why his leg will no longer grow again?

What stood out for me in this film is that Ibraheem still fights and remembers the terrors of the day he lost his mom and siblings. What surprised me is that he has gotten over the fact that he has no mother or siblings. Another thing that surprised me is that Ibraheem is trying to heal up his leg that was ruined after bombs fell onto their house. Emotions that I got from this is sadness because Ibraheem only has a father and doesn’t look very happy because he wants another family member, I am mad because people almost killed Ibraheem and killed his family except for his dad. Questions that I have is who kept on bombing the area that Ibraheem lived in? What happened to Ibraheem’s leg? This reminds me about the Bombing of Pearl Harbor and how the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor even though the U.S. had done nothing.

When comparing my life to another’s I tend to see a new perspective that I would never have seen by myself. To know that thousands of children are left with little to no family due to certain situations that they are put in, truly open my eyes to a whole new world. No child younger old should ever have to go through the trauma of seeing their country or their family being torn apart. They should not have to go through the pain of knowing that at any moment their friends could die and they could be left alone leave forever. This video shows the war and the tragedies going on right now while we sit in our AC Cooled home. Due to these wars young kids are left with traumatic memories and experiences that will hunt them for a lifetime and most are left foot injuries that will never go away and will never heal. I started to feel the pain that the main character Abraham had when he couldn’t come to terms with his family dying. At a young age he started to give symptoms of PTSD, luckily these flashbacks faded away and he came to the realization that his mother and siblings were gone forever.

I can't imagine how it would be like to live life without my mom and siblings, and I wouldn't wanna imagine it, but when you hear stories about how people lost any family member it always gives you a thought on what it would be like. In the middle of the video, the teacher asks the class to write 10 things about their family, seeing how this would get to Ibraheem emotionally. A connection I can make is that a few hours ago my dad and I were catching up and he told me he was going through physical therapy for his broken arm and in the video Ibraheem was getting physical therapy.

So when he said that we are just fragments waiting for people to collect this, I thought it was interesting but also so sad because it shows how he has almost no hope. I found it so surprising to find out that he would be going to Canada and would be schooled there. I hate that this young child had to deal with constant fear and hecticness always happening around him. I think it is great that even though he has injuries and disability to him, he will continue to train and try to get better. It's so upsetting to see someone that is good to have to suffer and deal with the struggles on a daily basis. i b r a h e e m fights through his struggles and continues to make attempts after all he has gone through. Even though in the beginning of the film it showed how little hope he had it is amazing to see the turn-around he had in his opinion and attitude on life.

Something in this film that stood out to me is how the boy walks with these crutches. This stood out to me because of how he and his dad talk about what happened to him and his leg. It tells me that you should be grateful that nothing happened to you like what happened to the boy and his family. Something that surprised me in this film is that in the beginning, the boy says they moved to Canada and I didn’t know that. An emotion that came out from this film is that I feel sorry for what happened but I am also very interested of what happened and I would like to know more. I think this film is conveying the message that not everyone is as lucky as you to have both parents or siblings or that you are healthy so you should be grateful and not take advantage because you don’t know when you can lose it all. Some questions I still have is how did all of this happened like what happened? This film reminds me about the wars I’ve read about in history class.

In the beginning of the film "We Became Fragments", I noticed how Ibraheem's disability is a small part of his life but is the first thing people see. When he was walking he explained that people always ask him what happened and people would stare at him when passing by. It is sad that an innocent person like Ibraheem and his family were greatly affected by the war and it is very important that countries open programs to help refugees. It was good to see that Ibraheem got out of his state of shock after the incident, and see him going to school, therapy, and meeting/playing around with other kids who possibly went through the same experiences.

In the film “We Became Fragments” by Natalie Proulx, I felt bad that Ibraheem went through that tragic and horrible event. I thing that really stood out to me was when Ibraheem was walking through a crosswalk, and a man looked back at him. I felt sorry for Ibraheem, not only for going through his accident, but now having to deal with people staring at him, and their questions. Also, some of his classmates were looking at him. They probably did not mean it in a rude or disrespectful way, but is seemed like it. One thing that surprised me was how strong Ibraheem was. Especially for someone his age, I feel like he tried to stay positive. I could never imagine loosing my mom and my siblings. I am inspired by Ibraheem after hearing his story. He has so much courage and is very strong.

What stood out to me personally about this film was Ibraheems story of how life was like in syria, this stands out to me because that is no way for anyone to live, it is horrible how they had to live in fear. I find it surprising that many of syrian civilians got caught up in this war though they didn’t do anything. This short film was emotional to see the heartbreak from Ibraheems point of view because he had lost almost everything and yet he still just goes on. The biggest question that I still have is how did they hear that Canada was taking syrian refugees.Nothing in my life can even compare to the amount of stuff that has happened to Ibraheem. This film reminds me of a segment that I have seen on the news that was about syrian refugees and how life was like for them in syria compared to life now.

After watching “We Became Fragments” I noticed many subliminal messages that the director had intentionally left in the film that have great importance. I love how the film gives us viewers a small fragment of what many people have to go through everyday. This is something that my minder would of never thought to go look up out of the blue. I am glad that you guys assigned this film to show us a part of the unseen world. I believe it is important that we as american children are exposed to the real world thing that goes on in a different part of the world. Ibraheem's story was very touching and very unexpected. This story is very tragic and touching and is so unfortunate that some one his age should have to experience something so sad. Many people in united states think that everyone is fed off a golden spon just like them. this film helps proves otherwise.

I noticed that people stared at him. I know they don’t mean it to be rude but it does kind of come off as weird but he didn’t even notice it. It’s sad that he lost his mother and he only lives with his father now. It must be really horrible losing a family member definitely one you are close to. It’s horrible that anyone has to go through this and definitely someone so young. It’s amazing that he had a chance to restart and go somewhere safe to live his life and he was still surrounded by people like him. I think it was really important that they showed him going to school because it shows how he is getting used to a new country and how he is adapting to it.

The title of the film is perfect for the situation Ibraheem is facing: because he was mentally, emotionally, and physically fractured. His family was fractured by the war in Syria, with the death of his mom and siblings; and he was fractured, with his leg needing to be reconstructed. The only thing that kept him from being completely alone is that his dad was okay after everything, but it is clearly difficult for him to connect with his father. You can tell that some of the things Ibraheem has to do in school can be difficult, like when talking about the family tree in one of his classes. Having to adjust to a completely different culture and break the language barrier without the emotional distress he is in would be hard enough, but having the results of the war in Syria would make it even worse. Despite all the difficulties, he seems to be adjusting well, and he doesn’t seem to have lost hope which is the most important thing. He keeps pushing and I think it will benefit him in the long run and he can be successful.

In the film, "We Became Fragments," emotions I took away from this are resilience,bravery, sadness, hope, and determination. It was brave of Ibraheem to share his story even though it hurts to recount it.Like the amazing quote from the film (“We went out against our will, and we shall return with our hope.”) Ibraheem's determined to have hope. It's heartbreaking to hear not only what Ibraheem's family went through but that other families in Syria experienced the same thing or worse. Even though Ibraheem was in shock for two years after losing his mother and siblings he picked himself up and continued to live, this shows how resilient he is. Something I thought was really sweet was near the end when he was playing soccer with the other kids even though his legs are injured. It was also heartwarming when the little boy with one leg was also playing soccer with the other kids and he was hopping around looking like he was having a blast.

If I did not know about his story, I would have guessed he was an ordinary teenager, an ordinary Canadian student. After hearing what happened to Ibraheem, it is very heartbreaking to hear of all the hardships and struggles Ibraheem and his family has went through. Even though they were able to start over again in Canada, they still have struggles there. I admire Ibraheem and his father for being so strong, even after losing their family, having to leave their country, and adjusting to a completely different country. In the beginning of the film, they show scenes of when Ibraheem got severely injured and then quickly switched to another scene of the sky. This reminded me a bit of PTSD and I think it was meant to represent PTSD. And the story Ibraheem was telling throughout the film was really moving and his story really help show how he really feels and what he endured.

In the film “We Became Fragments” by Natalie Proulx I was really sad that Ibraheem had to experience such a tragic event at such a young age. When watching this film I was thinking that Ibraheem was so brave because even though his mother and sibling died he is still making the most with his life and working hard every day. I also found it very sweet on how everyone was really willing to help Ibraheem adjust to Canada. I also found it really sad that his leg might never grow again. But what stood out to me the most in this video was at the end of the film when Ibraheem played soccer with the younger kids even though he is disabled, this goes to show that Ibraheem never gave up and is still fighting every day.

There were many small but very impactful things in this short film that I'm glad the director left in. When Ibraheem Sarhan was walking down the street and the man quickly turned his head to take another look many would see that as a rude remark but I think it shows just how blessed we are. That man turned his head because he isn't used to seeing that, whereas in Syria it's unfortunately common. This short film only gave us a glimpse of the life we will never experience, and I found it really heartbreaking so many children like Ibraheem have to go through those tragedies. I believe I needed to see this short film to remind myself of the privilege and blessings I've been given.

What an awful experience to go through as an 11-year-old kid to have missiles raining down on your neighborhood and to wake up in a hospital covered in blood and to find out your mother and siblings died in the war. I couldn't imagine how he must be feeling. Fortunately, his dad was okay and is able to take care of him and refuge with him to Canada. In the video, you can see that Ibraheem has somewhat of a hard time adjusting to his new life in Canada which I would imagine it is very different than life in Syria. It’s also apparent that they talk about family a lot during school and this would be a difficult obstacle for him to overcome due to his past. I’m glad to see that he’s doing well in his English language class as I know that learning English is a difficult obstacle for immigrants to overcome. I hope he adjusts well to Canada and gets all the help he needs to be able to have a happier life because I wouldn’t be able to imagine how hard it is for him right now to handle and he may even be suicidal.

After watching the short film, "We Became Fragments" by Natalie Proulx, there were multiple things that stood out to me. For example, when Ibraheem was walking down the street, a man had starred at him. This aggravated me because that was such a rude things for him to do. I would expect something like that from someone ibraheem's age, but not from an adult. Something else that stood out to me was at the end of the video, when Ibraheem prayed and then he went out to go play soccer. I really enjoyed this part, because I loved the fact that even after what happened to Ibraheem, he didn't just give up. Some people may have just given up but Ibraheem chose to continue to live his life and not let his disability hold him back. I think that anyone who went through the type of tragedy that Ibraheem went through should watch this video because it's very hopeful and uplifting. In conclusion, multiple things stood out to me while watching the video.

After watching the video, "After We Became Fragments" by Natalie Proulx, I was left with several questions, but there were also multiple things that stood out to me. For example, when the boy's dad had talked about how the for the first two years after the incident, the boy constantly asked where was his mom. I am curious as to if the boy asked this through the entirety of the two years, or just at the start. Something that stood out to me was when the guy on the street stared at Ibraheem. That really aggravated me cause that was just so rude of that man. I would expect something like that from someone that's Ibraheem's age, but not an adult. Something else that stuck out to me was at the end of the video, when it showed Ibraheem pray and then we went to go play soccer. I really enjoyed this part because it shows that just because something bad happens, doesn't mean your life is ruined. I think that anyone who went through an even like Ibraheem did should watch this, to show them to not just give up because they can still live a normal life. In conclusion, multiple things stood out to me throughout the short film.

In this week's film, "We Became Fragments", several things stood out for me, for sure. For one, Ibraheem's family was victim of a missile strike in Syria, and lost his mother and siblings, also leaving Ibraheem with a horrible leg injury. Another thing that stood out to me and made sense is that Ibraheem is Muslim, as evident from him praying at the end. A third thing is that, while Ibraheem can speak English and has shown it throughout the film, he speaks Arabic when narrating. I think this could correlate more with the theme of the film than anything, which seems to have to do with adjusting to change. I also noticed that Ibraheem, when in classes, looks to be with other people in similar ethnic backgrounds. Yet another detail I noticed is how one of the teachers, when giving the students an assignment correlating to information about their families, told either Ibraheem or the whole class that he knew it would probably be difficult to answer the questions, seemingly referring to loss of family, so whoever was being referred to didn't have to answer every question.

After watching “We Became Fragments,” I was surprised at how strong Ibraheem was. He lost pretty much everything. His mother, siblings, and home were gone during the Syrian War,but he eventually moved on from that terrible event. If I were in his situation, without a doubt, I would never get over that. Something that stood out in this film was that there were people on his side helping him. It makes me sad to think that people are getting hurt from these tragic wars, but I’m happy knowing that there are people out there that help and support them. In conclusion, the messages I got from the film are to help each other out as much as possible, because we are all human and we’re all the same. Another idea I got from the film is to look forward and move on, because even if things seem down, in the future it will get better.