A Syrian teenager whose school now rarely opens because of aerial bombardments has dedicated the past four months to building a 3d model of what he would like his city to be like in the future. He is rebuilding Aleppo, only better.
Mohamed Qutaish (13) has a passion for drawing and supportive parents who have been carefully building a stock of art supplies for him.
He is now only allowed to play in the streets immediately surrounding his building because of the security risks of being outside in the open.
His school rarely opens because it has been damaged in raids, like a quarter of all schools in Syria.
Mohamed has retreated into his imagination as his city has shrunk from him.
Since the Spring he has dedicated himself to building back his city, with improvements, in model form.
Mohamed's art is supported by his parents. His Father lets him use his workshop for the building project.
Aleppo after a recent bombing campaign. Photo: via Channel 4 News film
Mohammed's dream vision of Aleppo, rebuilt with improvements. Photo: via Channel 4 News film
In his dream city Mohammed has included an airport to bring people to see his city, and a lake for tourists with a "lovely view" for them to enjoy.