NO SUCH THING Origin Stories: Yousef Srouji on Three Promises
Oct 8, 2025
In this enlightening conversation, Yousef Srouji, a Palestinian filmmaker and creator of the award-winning documentary "Three Promises," shares how he unearthed his mother's home videos to portray life during the Second Intifada. He reflects on the emotional impact of viewing the footage and how it validated his childhood memories. Srouji discusses the challenges of self-learning filmmaking techniques, securing funding, and navigating distribution hurdles, all while striving to keep his film's narrative apolitical, emphasizing its human connection.
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Rediscovering Family Archives
- Yousef rediscovered hours of his mother's home videos after 15 years and felt compelled to make a film from them.
- He dove into translating, subtitling, and watching the footage to assemble a rough narrative for Three Promises.
Why His Mother Filmed So Much
- Suha filmed family life deliberately because she wanted their story to be seen when news outlets ignored the Intifada.
- Yousef explains the family's strong habit of filming as a multi-generational practice rooted in archives and memory.
Footage Restores Fragile Memory
- The footage validated Yousef's fractured memories and clarified his childhood experience during the Intifada.
- Watching the tapes shifted his view from trauma-only to seeing humor, love, and resilience in his family.
