Already Alive

22/04/2021

I’m thrilled to announce that “We Do This Once” will be premiering at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. It’s my first narrative short film I wrote, scored, and directed. Thank you to the incredibly talented cast and crew who worked two long days to make this happen. You all are the best!

20/06/2019

It’s easy to feel dismayed and disheartened by the countless crises happening all over the world, but all of us hold the power to make a change. These are the words of Dr. Rouba Mhaissen.
ROUBA’S MANIFESTO
Link in Bio
Our cast and crew brought something incredibly special to this project, as many are refugees themselves, living within the camps in the Bekaa Valley. Their hard work and dedication on set made this film, and our experience in Lebanon feel even more important.
We are extremely grateful to them, and our entire team for making this film possible.

19/06/2019

“I have seen those who have lost so much, emerge with the greatest humanity. This is for Amman and Farah, humans we tried to save, but could not. This could have been me. This could have been any of us.”
ROUBA’S MANIFESTO will be released tomorrow June 20th, in honor of World Refugee Day.

18/06/2019

Striking moments on set:

"Filming in the refugee camps was an eye-opening experience, to say the least. These refugees have been living in these camps for over 7 years. They are stuck in a sort of limbo, unable to get a real job, unable to go to school. These are people who, in Syria, had good jobs and were a part of the middle class for the most part. These people were just like me. This could have been me, displaced and unsettled. They fled their homes because they had no choice, they wanted better for themselves, and their families. Searching for safety, yearning to find home in a place where they seemed unwelcome.

The moment that really struck at my emotional core was when we were filming in one of the tents. It was cold outside and they had a fire going, one of the refugees came in to refill the fire and I saw him filling up the stove with plastic and any other trash that could burn. They needed to burn this trash because of the lack of resources. To burn wood was a luxury here. The gravity of the situation these people are in became suddenly clear. We often talk about material goods that we take for granted, but something about the simple nature of having wood to burn as not only a comfort and a pleasure, but also as a necessity, as a source of heat, truly jolted the awareness that I thought I already had.

I thought my eyes were open. They were closed. Maybe we all need to take a closer look."

- , director.

ROUBA’S MANIFESTO will be released this Thursday, June 20th in honor of World Refugee Day.

14/06/2019

“I have seen those incapable of making a living creating opportunity for others. Ones who should be learning, becoming the teacher.
Those who need support, giving it to those who need it even more. To be there for people they have never met.” - ROUBA’S MANIFESTO, our new film will be released next Thursday, June 20. @ Beqaa Valley

13/06/2019

“WE ARE ALL REFUGEES” “The Refugee issue was a way for us to realize that in the whole world, there’s so much to do. There’s something missing, not just for the refugees. It is about something bigger. This work has enabled me to connect and interact with people everywhere. Refugees go back to minimalism. They’re mobile. The only thing they’re carrying with them is their humanity and the fact that they’re human beings.” MEET ROUBA

Rouba Mhaissen is the founder and director of SAWA For Development & Aid in Beirut, Lebanon. SAWA is a civil society organization that works with individuals and communities to support the right of Syrian refugees to live in dignity and freedom, and to be proactive in their host communities by connecting them with job and educational opportunities, as well as contributing to many agricultural and environmental projects in the Beqaa Valley.

When we set out to make our film “Rouba’s Manifesto” earlier this year, we wanted her message to shine through the storytelling, and bring forth her important thoughts on empathy and compassion. Rouba’s hope is to show the great potential that lies within all of us as humans to do good, regardless of our experience or capacity.

“Rouba’s Manifesto” will be released on June 20, in honor of World Refugee Day. We cannot wait to share it with you.

04/06/2019

Hello again, we are, in fact, ALIVE. We’ve stepped away from social media for some time now, and man oh man, we are pumped to be back.

Since we last met, we’ve been creating, engaging, exploring, nourishing our minds and souls and taking time for ourselves when needed. We hope you’ve been doing the same.

We are gearing up to release a beautiful and important piece in the next few weeks that we can’t wait for you to see. With more exciting projects on the horizon, we hope you will join us on this road ahead. There has been much work done, and there is still so much work to do.

16/05/2017

This is a short film for the Robin Hood Foundation which helped raise over $55 million for poverty fighting organizations in NYC at their gala last night. This film takes you on a dramatic journey, writen and directed by Michael Marantz.

https://vimeo.com/217673072

Already Alive partnered with the Robin Hood Foundation (www.robinhood.org) to create a film that highlights all too common stories of people living below the poverty…

20/01/2017

"No matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning." - Barack Obama, Election Night 2016

Good Morning -

26/07/2016

Check out the latest piece by Already Alive for Verizon Innovative Learning, directed by Michael Marantz. https://vimeo.com/172749563

"You Don't Know Me" is a PSA created to support Verizon's Innovative Learning initiative which gets students into STEM focused learning. Verizon…

19/08/2015

Take a look at a new film created by our very own Tim Sessler, Michael Marantz, and Drew English. It's a beautiful journey using cutting edge filmmaking technology from Freefly. Enjoy!
https://vimeo.com/136319144

|| Recommended watching with headphones or good sound || NOSTALGIA is a collaborative film by Drew English, Michael Marantz and Tim Sessler, shot on the RED Epic…

30/06/2015

Hi everyone out there on Facebook, we at Already Alive are always looking for amazing personal stories to film that inspire and empower people.

If you've heard of someone that has been through great trauma or challenge in their life and has a positive attitude, please let us know by sending a message!

Thanks all!