0:00:02 > 0:00:06Damascus, Syria, the oldest capital city on Earth
0:00:06 > 0:00:09in the heart of the Arab world.
0:00:12 > 0:00:16This series follows a year in the lives of four schools spread across Damascus.
0:00:19 > 0:00:24In this episode, we focus on just one school in a particular part of town.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Away from the ancient walled old city,
0:00:28 > 0:00:34the French colonial quarters and the modern apartments of Mezze,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36there's Yarmouk.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40It may not look like it but it's a Palestinian refugee camp
0:00:40 > 0:00:43that's sat on the southern edge of Damascus for over 60 years.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Yarmouk camp has only one girl's secondary school.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Most of its students are Palestinian,
0:00:53 > 0:00:57coming of age in what can sometimes be a socially conservative society.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Their inheritance - three generations of exile.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Their goal - to return to their homeland.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14Representing Palestine is no problem for Tulin,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17kanun player with the Yarmouk Palestinian Children's Orchestra.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29But two girls dream of serving their people's cause in a different way.
0:01:29 > 0:01:35Shaza and Rahaf's plan puts them on a collision course with their traditionalist head teacher.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46Can Shaza and Rahaf break the mould and become the first girl rappers in Yarmouk?
0:02:06 > 0:02:12It's February in Damascus and another day at Yarmouk secondary school for girls is about to begin.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25The school teaches 1,200 students up to 18 years old.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31It's the only secondary girls school in Yarmouk, a suburb of Damascus and a refugee camp.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38The creation of Israel in 1948 displaced over half of the Palestinians
0:02:38 > 0:02:41into camps in neighbouring countries.
0:02:41 > 0:02:48Yarmouk is one of these, so 95% of the girls in the school are Palestinian.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55As a community in exile, they must tow the line laid down by the host nation.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Morning assembly follows the same pattern as any other Syrian state school
0:02:59 > 0:03:03and that includes a daily recital of the Syrian national motto.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25As a state school, it follows the baccalaureate system.
0:03:31 > 0:03:37Palestinian history is on Syria's tenth grade syllabus and is taught to all the girls.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47BELL RINGS
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Keeping a Syrian eye on this Palestinian generation is Syrian headmistress Ghada Dallol.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12She expects her girls to progress to higher education.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37The right that these girls want most is to return to their homeland.
0:06:15 > 0:06:16We can make miracle.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38The recent war in Gaza has just come to an end
0:06:38 > 0:06:43and the Yarmouk people have been glued to their TVs as 1,300 of their compatriots,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47in some cases their family members, have lost their lives.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53War coverage on Syrian TV doesn't pull any punches.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10The feelings of impotence and anger are running high in the school,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14giving rise to some powerful outpourings of emotion.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19The students take the opportunity to express their feelings about Gaza in poetry...
0:07:24 > 0:07:26..in drama...
0:07:29 > 0:07:30..in art...
0:07:34 > 0:07:36..and even in graffiti.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53- Come on.- But 16-year-old Shaza
0:07:53 > 0:07:58has her heart set on a new way of telling the Palestinian story.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Not everyone agrees with Shaza's unconventional plans.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42RAP MUSIC
0:09:06 > 0:09:13But there's one person who has the power to stop Shaza's plans in their tracks - her dad.
0:10:28 > 0:10:36The creation of Israel in 1948 turned an estimated 750,000 Palestinians into refugees.
0:10:42 > 0:10:49In Damascus, a squatter camp grew up in the Yarmouk area until in 1957, the UN Relief and Works Agency
0:10:49 > 0:10:55or UNRWA leased just over two square kilometres of land from Syria for 100 years.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Each family was given a few square metres to build on.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05Over time, they expanded their original homes upwards
0:11:05 > 0:11:12to accommodate successive generations, creating the narrow and densely-packed alleyways of Yarmouk.
0:11:16 > 0:11:2260 years on and Palestinians make up 4% of Syria's total population.
0:11:22 > 0:11:28There are over 100,000 in Yarmouk and the UN still collects the rubbish.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32Today's schoolchildren are mostly third-generation refugees.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37Syria hasn't given them citizenship in an attempt to preserve their right of return,
0:11:37 > 0:11:43which was laid down by a UN General Assembly resolution passed in 1948.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49The people of Yarmouk remain here still without passports or a state of their own.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04The first two years of Yarmouk school do PE twice a week
0:12:04 > 0:12:07under the supervision of sports teacher, Miss Ahman.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16But not the 12th grade - it's time for them to concentrate
0:12:16 > 0:12:21on their baccalaureate exams, the crucial gateway to university education.
0:12:30 > 0:12:38But for 18-year-old Safa' Kiwan, sports not academics offer her the best route to the future she seeks.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Safa is the Damascus girls' discus champion.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47After school, she heads down to the athletics stadium to train
0:12:47 > 0:12:49for the upcoming national schools' championship.
0:12:49 > 0:12:56If she does well enough, she'll be offered a place at a sports academy in another Syrian city.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19To do this, she needs her family's support.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22But this time last year, she didn't get it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Safa has told her family now, but she didn't at first because she was afraid that her father,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44a market stall-owner, would stop her training.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Safa enlisted the help of her grandmother to get to and from the training ground.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10It was a surprise to her mother.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31In the absence of the official Damascus school's coach, Safa has been getting help
0:14:31 > 0:14:36from one of the national coaches, the Bulgarian javelin expert, Danko.
0:14:36 > 0:14:43Working with Danko and spending time with other athletes has given Safa a new horizon.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34BELL RINGS
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Below the head teacher, the school employs a team of supervisors.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44One of their jobs is to maintain discipline.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51Miss Affaff and Miss Houda are in charge of the first floor.
0:15:51 > 0:15:5617-year-old Tulin is no stranger to their office.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08She's been caught eating in the middle of an Arabic exam.
0:16:49 > 0:16:56Tulin's family are in a string of businesses in the camp, from a bakery to a menswear shop.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01Her father gives her a lot more freedom than many other girls are allowed.
0:17:38 > 0:17:44Her father's relaxed approach means that every Wednesday evening Tulin can go to the UNRWA primary school
0:17:44 > 0:17:48to rehearse with the Nimreen orchestra, where she plays first kanun.
0:17:54 > 0:18:01The Palestinian children's orchestra is in heavy demand because Syria wants to show solidarity
0:18:01 > 0:18:06with the Palestinians, especially after the recent events in Gaza.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Last night, they played a concert in the Damascus Opera House, but band leader Adnan Fathallah
0:18:11 > 0:18:15is now turning his attention to the week's second major event.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19This Friday, they'll play a televised concert to celebrate Mother's Day.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37ORCHESTRA PLAYS
0:18:40 > 0:18:47One of the band's standards is an old revolutionary anthem called Strengthen Your Determination.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Shaza has found just one collaborator for her band.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Rahaf is in the year above her at school and shares her passion for rap.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19But before the girls can rap, they have to write some lyrics.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55The next step on their quest to become rappers is to enlist
0:20:55 > 0:20:59the help of a local band who've already brought rap to Yarmouk camp.
0:21:39 > 0:21:46Their studio is in band member Mohammed's flat where he lives with his mother and his little brother.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Whoa ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
0:21:51 > 0:21:55As the girls are visiting without a male relative to chaperone them,
0:21:55 > 0:21:59Rahaf makes a call to her older sister before she does anything else.
0:22:30 > 0:22:37The Refugees of Rap are in fact made up of three Palestinians, two Syrians and an Algerian.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Arab unity is one of the prominent themes of their lyrics.
0:22:57 > 0:22:58Wow.
0:23:01 > 0:23:06Neither of the girls has ever rapped into a microphone before.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Yo!
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Rahaf plays it safe...
0:23:20 > 0:23:24..picking a well-known rap anthem by Dam,
0:23:24 > 0:23:26a Palestinian band, based inside Israel
0:23:26 > 0:23:30whose song has inspired a wave of like-minded rappers across the region
0:23:30 > 0:23:33to pick up the microphone rather than the gun.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23Next, Shaza steps up to the mic to try out some of her own material.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01It's been a precious opportunity for Shaza and Rahaf, but now it's nine o'clock and it's time to go home.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21Shaza and Rahaf aren't the only ones pushing against social boundaries.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27Discus champion, Safa', also faces ridicule from her classmates.
0:26:55 > 0:27:02With just a week to go before the national championships, Safa' is now in intensive training.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06But her trainer, Danko, has been assigned to other athletes
0:27:06 > 0:27:10and Aiman, the official schools' discus coach, has taken over.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14He thinks she's picked up some bad habits, so he's taking her back to basics.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00But strong-willed Safa' doesn't want to start from scratch.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07With only a week to go till the national competition,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Aiman's new technique has thrown her off balance.
0:28:33 > 0:28:39The school will soon be holding its annual prize-giving ceremony and Rahaf and Shaza have got a plan.
0:30:50 > 0:30:56But Mrs Dallol is resisting the influx of western music on TV and the internet
0:30:56 > 0:31:00that is now enjoyed by many of her girls.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49After dark, Yarmouk comes alive.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20Tulin is out shopping with her sister, they're buying presents for Mother's Day.
0:32:28 > 0:32:29Yes!
0:32:32 > 0:32:34THEY SING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Tulin's dad and some of his friends have been enjoying the music.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25It's clear that over the last 60 years,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29the question of their Palestinian status has evolved into a complex debate.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17The school supervisor needs to talk to another troublesome student.
0:37:21 > 0:37:25This time it's Shaza's turn to be called into her office.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19But Shaza's not going to put her dreams on hold.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23She and Rahaf are back with the Refugees Of Rap to record their first song.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Bravo.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Bravo.
0:39:19 > 0:39:24Rahaf has impressed, now it's Shaza's turn to grab this precious opportunity.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40They ask her to record Rahaf's verse, which she hasn't memorised.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38Despite all the encouragement, Mohammed doesn't think they're ready.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05Their first recording will have to wait, till they've polished their act.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07I don't do any things.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31It's 8am. Tulin and her orchestra are fully rehearsed,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34and are gathering for the trip to their Mother's Day concert.
0:41:49 > 0:41:54They're travelling to Latakia, a resort city on Syria's Mediterranean coast.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57It's a five-hour journey.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00# If you're happy and you know it, say OK
0:42:00 > 0:42:01# OK!
0:42:01 > 0:42:03# If you're happy and you know it, say OK
0:42:03 > 0:42:05# OK! If you're... #
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Finally they arrive at the cultural centre in Latakia.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:43:07 > 0:43:12A Palestinian band playing Palestinian songs goes down well with this Syrian audience.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19The concert's also being shown on Syrian TV.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:43:57 > 0:44:04The orchestra is now attracting nationwide attention, with Adnan as its spokesman.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23With all the attention, Adnan is beginning to think big.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52While no-one doubts that Tulin is promoting the Palestinian cause,
0:44:52 > 0:44:56some girls in the school are not so sure about Safa's discus throwing.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46The next morning, athletes from across the country
0:45:46 > 0:45:51converge on the Tishrin stadium in Damascus for the national schools' championship.
0:45:51 > 0:45:57Many of them belong to sports clubs, and have years of competition experience.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02Safa' has home advantage,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06and she's brought her whole family along, including her grandmother,
0:46:06 > 0:46:10who made this all possible in the first place, tricking Safa's father.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41In the discus competition, each girl will get three throws,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44then the top eight girls will go on to take a further three more.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51The pressure's on for Safa' to make the cut.
0:46:56 > 0:47:01Ignoring coach Aiman's advice, Safa' goes all out with a full spin on her first throw.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11But she stepped out of the circle,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14breaking the strict competition rules.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:48:03 > 0:48:08Two throws, two fouls, but not according to Safa'.
0:48:22 > 0:48:27Now Safa' has to score with her third throw to make the cut.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41With everything resting on her third attempt,
0:48:41 > 0:48:46Safa' plays it safe, stopping well before the edge of the circle.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57The first three rounds completed, and the scores are added up,
0:48:57 > 0:49:01and it's good news for Safa', as she scrapes into the second round.
0:49:07 > 0:49:08But lying in eighth place,
0:49:08 > 0:49:12she'll have to lift her game if she's going to take a medal.
0:49:39 > 0:49:42But after two more throws, she's still in eighth position.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Safa'!
0:49:47 > 0:49:49Safa'!
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Safa'!
0:49:54 > 0:49:56With her family's encouragement
0:49:56 > 0:50:00and her sister turning to a prayer book for inspiration,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Safa' takes to the circle for the final time.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18But her confidence is shattered
0:50:18 > 0:50:21and her chance of winning a medal has gone.
0:51:04 > 0:51:06At least now her father will allow the discus
0:51:06 > 0:51:08to be part of Safa's future.
0:51:39 > 0:51:43The time has come for the school to hold its annual prize-giving ceremony,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46but rap won't be a part of the programme.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50The head teacher has gone for something more traditional instead.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52KEYBOARD PERCUSSION
0:51:52 > 0:51:55SHE SINGS IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
0:52:08 > 0:52:10APPLAUSE
0:52:10 > 0:52:16All the top performers in sports and academics are honoured in front of the entire school.
0:52:29 > 0:52:30APPLAUSE
0:52:30 > 0:52:37And the head teacher's speech encourages these Palestinian girls into Syrian nationalist outpourings.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55For Shaza and Rahaf, events have taken a turn for the worse.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Not only have they been overlooked for the ceremony,
0:52:58 > 0:53:02but the school has now taken action against their rap ambitions.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21The head teacher also has another reason for stepping into the situation.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04SINGING AND CLAPPING
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Aware of their bitter disappointment,
0:56:07 > 0:56:09the head teacher agrees to give Shaza and Rahaf
0:56:09 > 0:56:15a chance to convince her, some teachers and a tenth-grade class of the value of rap.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27Next time on Syrian school, the young poets society of Zaki Al-Arsouzi
0:58:27 > 0:58:29aim to impress in the writers' showcase.
0:58:29 > 0:58:32To find out more from the Open University
0:58:32 > 0:58:38about school life in Syria, go to bbc.co.uk/syrianschool
0:58:54 > 0:58:57Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:57 > 0:59:00E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk