Slieman

Slieman is the eldest son and has been given many of the family’s most daunting responsibilites. At 14 years old, Slieman was sent by Abdel-Malek to Lebanon to prepare a safe haven for the family. He had to quit school and work in a quarry. Slieman remains nostalgic for the simpler times the family used to have before the war.

Ahmad

Ahmad is the fourth child and knows that his best chance at being noticed in such a large family is his sense of humour. Always curious, Ahmad was lucky to find an instant friend in Carlyn’s son, Seth, who understands and helps Ahmad. They worked together one summer at Carlyn’s OENO gallery.

Carlyn

Carlyn Moulton is the co-chair of PEC Syria, the sponsorship group responsible for bringing the family over from Syria that began with a post on Carlyn’s Facebook. Committed and deliberate, Carlyn describes how she’s motivated by compassion over fear.

Deb

Deb McGrath is an accountant in charge of overseeing the family’s finances. Deb is so devoted to the family that they’ve taken to referring to her as a family member. 

Alaa

Alaa and Walaa are twin sisters. Walaa is assertive and bright while Alaa, who was born deaf, is more shy. Upon moving to Canada, doctors were able to provide hearing assistance to Alaa almost right away, affording the same level of opportunities as her twin sister.

Robin

Robin Baranyai is a member of PEC Syria in charge of [Robin pod]. Patient and loving, Robin spends so much time with the family that her own kids joke that it’s a parallel family. Robin compares the childhood of Ahmad to that of her own son.

Greg & jenny

Greg and Jenny, a retired vice principal and dentist respectively, spent a lot of time and effort helping the family integrate into their new society from the moment they landed. Having been involved from the very beginning, they offer advice to anyone who is considering sponsoring a refugee group.

Ramez

Ramez, the second eldest son, reflects on the loss of his grandmother Hadji and how much she meant to him as a second mother. He’s grateful for the tight-knit family he has, and the fond memories of Hadji that he holds onto.

Show the World

In the summer of 2016, the Radcliffe Foundation and VIFF launched a competition urging filmmakers to produce a “Call to Action” short film up to 60 seconds long that educates and inspires Canadians to take action on the Syrian refugee crisis. This PSA “Show the World” was our answer to that call, and a semi-finalist in the competition out of over 120 entries.