Norddin

Norddin is a 16-year-old man from North Africa, who speaks Arabic and French and some basic English. There are many situations that Norddin and I get to speak one-to-one. There is the time that we go to the woods to help litter picking. He smiles and laughs as he is working with the group. It is only when we find ourselves alone that he starts to open up to me. The message he sends me with his face and body language is that of a man who is very low, in fact quite possibly depressed. He tells me of the problems he has been having with his girlfriend. That she has been seeing another man. He is distraught, and overcome with distrust for the culture he finds himself in. He continues to tell me about the problems he has with other people, his housing situation and the home office problems. It looks like he wants to run. He tells me of how he feels so alone and that life is becoming unbearable for him. I know I have professional boundaries and keep to them.
We go rock climbing as a group regularly. He loves this experience and consistently tells me and the other students about his climbing experiences in the high mountain ranges of his home country. He is so agile, and tries to teach the other students how to find good footholes. He also encourages other people in their ascents and gloats when he reaches the top of a difficult wall.
He sometimes tries his hand at filming and loves being both behind and in front of the camera. He attends the voluntary sessions, and has a driving impact at the start of the project. He is keen to tell others how to use the camera and has a persuasive manner. Other students warm to him and he loves to discuss the activities which take place in the woods, the rock climbing and beach cleaning sessions. He does this with a happiness and confidence. He only shows his vulnerabilities to me.
During the editing stages he hardly turns up to sessions. While he is in the session he struggles with the tasks. He is in an alien environment. He tells me that he has had home office problems. I discuss his attendance with his social worker. The information Norddin tells me and the social worker is conflicting. It is during the IT sessions I feel as though I have lost him. I find out from him that he is working. This takes up alot of his time. He fails to attend further sessions, after promising to come.
He attends the public performance, and is so proud that he can be seen by the city he lives in. He cannot believe that he is on show. He thanks me for letting hi be a part of the film project, and takes pictures of the performance space to send to his family.
He currently works fulltime in a local cafe serving customers.