Ambush | Kameen

Filmmaker's note

The idea for Ambush began on a summer night in Amman, when I attended “Ambush,” a pop-up techno club hosted in one of downtown’s oldest restaurants. Curated by local artists, it was part of a growing trend of techno events staged in conservative, traditional neighborhoods, adding both charm and controversy. For some, it was about reclaiming space and reimagining the city; for others, it signaled gentrification, with privileged youth partying in neglected areas. Regardless of the stance, people came to dance. That night, I noticed five young men watching us from a rooftop across the street. Their building, a former Rolex complex turned low-income housing and hotel, stood as a relic of a forgotten neighborhood, still bearing its original sign. As we danced, they observed us, and soon, we were watching them too. It was in that moment, surrounded by these layered contrasts, that I felt the story needed to be told. In making the film, I blended fact and fiction by collaborating with both professional and first-time actors, grounding the fictional narrative in lived experience. Ambush is my love letter to my hometown. It celebrates and grieves the city that shaped us and at times failed us. The story follows Jana and Hasan, whose lives brush against each other through the city and its windows.