8 May 2024
Plenty of fashion campaigns, a role in Netflix's series "AlRawabi School for Girls" (Season 2), and a lot of attention every day. Despite all this, what is truly priceless is that Lana remains human — extremely polite, honest, and caring.
Did you know she was so nervous before her first photo shoot that she wanted to call it off? Or that when she was young, she had issues with eating? Or that she has dealt with the loss of a family member? Here is Lana's story.
P.S. Thanks to Lughass for the photo above.
— Your ordinary morning. What is it?
— My ordinary morning routine is pretty straightforward. Usually, I just wake up and head straight to the set. It is literally like: straight out of bed, into the bathroom, get dressed, and then off to work.
— Is it calm or rushed?
— I am always in a rush in the morning. And I try to maximise my sleep.
— You are half Palestine and half Syrian. So, who is Palestinian, and who is Syrian in your family?
— My dad is Palestinian, and my mom is Syrian. My dad was born and raised in a refugee camp in Aleppo, Syria. My mother was born in the same city in Syria, where my dad eventually moved. His family moved out of the refugee camp and settled in the town, where he met my mom. They were neighbours.
— What do they do?
— Well, my mom is a nurse, and my dad works in the government sector, in public health.
— Do you have any family traditions?
— Oh yes! One day on the weekend, no one is allowed to make plans, and we all have lunch together. In this tradition, we usually invite a lot of family members. I am very grateful for these times because when I say we have to spend it together, it is never enforced or anything. It is just like this is what is expected, this is what family does, we all spend it together, and it is a very warm time, you know.
— As far as I remember, you said they were against your model career. They were upset that you went to try yourself in the Clean & Clear commercial.
— Yeah, you are right. It was a very long time ago when I was still in school. I don't know how, but one of my best friends at the time heard about the casting call for Clean & Clear and took me with her. Even if my parents agreed, it wouldn't have worked because they wanted a girl with a Lebanese accent, and I speak more on the Palestinian side with my dialect.
But yeah, my parents were not very happy with it. I think because I was very young, and it is quite known that this kind of industry can tend to take advantage of young girls if they are vulnerable or unable to make wise decisions on the spot. It is very possible that this kind of thing happened in the industry, especially at the time, way more than now. I think now it is a lot more diverse, but back then, it was very much dominated by men.
Nowadays, it is better because there are just a bit more women in the industry. But most people who have something, most people who have the final say, are men. So I can understand why my parents were against it.
— Can you remember yourself at the very beginning of your modelling career?
— Yes, it all began when I started helping my best friend. She went to art school and sometimes needed someone to take photographs of or include in her small short films for her projects. So, I would go to her campus on the weekends and work together. It was just a way to spend our time together doing this fun activity, you know? We didn't really give it much thought beyond that. She just had to submit her work, and I wanted to hang out with her.
Then, Instagram came about during that phase of our lives, and we would post the work. Slowly, I don't want to say I gained followers because, at the time, that didn't happen just yet. But what happened was a friend of a friend of a friend started a Palestinian traditional dress brand. That friend of a friend told them that I modelled sometimes. And that was my first job. I actually remember the first day I went to the shoot; I was so anxious!
— Can you tell us more about that day?
— This is not something I think I have told many people, but I was so anxious that when I woke up in the morning, I just tried to think of a million ways to cancel. Then I had a problem with my car as well. My sister got me out of bed, and she was like, "I'm gonna go drop you. You said ‘yes’ to this." I don't know what happened to me. I just got very nervous.
But I attended the shoot, and it went really well. I worked with them a few more times then. And even my profile picture on Instagram shows me wearing one of the looks of that brand.
— Of course, we can talk a lot about how a model shouldn't necessarily be so thin, that we should accept everyone — and that is how things should be. But reality often paints a different picture. In the minds of many, a model should fit certain criteria, right? And many girls aspiring to be models feel pressured to conform to these standards. Do you follow a specific diet? And have you ever struggled with an eating disorder?
— To be quite honest, when I was young, I had an eating disorder, and I think that is what has created a foundation for my body to stay small. When I say “eating disorder”, it is not like I used to eat and then go throw up or anything. I mean, I used to have a lot of trouble just eating. I just could not eat; it was tough for me to have an appetite. It was literally like a body function problem.
Over time, that has gotten better. By the time I was in high school, it stopped being so occurring. It would only happen when I was sick or if I had exams.
Society is working towards creating this desired image for every woman. That is why the relationship with food is stressful and applies to most girls. Like, almost every girl watches what she eats, you know? And it is just very liberating when I see someone who doesn't. As for me, I try my best to do it from a healthy angle, to watch the way I think.
I don't have a strict diet. I just watch what I eat. Honestly, I really enjoy food, so I try my best not to box myself in and eat what I like and enjoy life. It is in my culture: we love food. The Syrian city that we are from is best known for its really heavy and tasty food. It is not possible for me to not enjoy it and take it away from myself.
— Thank you for sharing, Lana! In the interview with Khamsa, you said that one of the main things that gives you joy is the sea. Can you tell us about the most beautiful seaside spots you have ever seen?
— Honestly, the sea is where I have always wanted to be. I dream of living by the sea, spending every day at the beach. It is what I love the most. And when I reflect on it, I realise it is probably a deep-seated inclination within me because I come from a city in Palestine that is situated by the sea, although I am not allowed to visit Palestine anymore. After all, my family are refugees. One day, it struck me — the realisation that I love the sea for the same reasons as everyone else, but there is also this longing, sense of belonging, and feeling of missing a place that I have never been to.
I want to share an experience that was particularly meaningful for me. The first one would undoubtedly be the Dead Sea. During my project with Netflix in Jordan, I had the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea. On the first day, the moment I laid eyes on it — the water and the land beyond, which was Palestine, stolen Palestine — it was such an emotional moment. Seeing the city lights and people there, knowing they weren't my people, I couldn't stop crying. It was overwhelming!
Throughout my stay, I visited the Dead Sea two or three more times, and there was this strange, heavy feeling each time. While I enjoyed my time in Jordan and at the Dead Sea, this heaviness is something I could never fully explain.
The second one is quite a typical answer, but I visited Seychelles, and it was the most breathtaking island I have ever been to, to be honest. The beauty of the place was beyond words. The beaches there are simply divine, absolutely stunning. However, we encountered some bad luck during our visit. A major storm, almost like a tornado, hit Mauritius, and since Seychelles is nearby, we got caught in the aftermath for about four out of the six days we were there. Despite the stormy weather, one day, we went to one of the islands. We kayaked and swam around, and there was a moment when we had a clear view of the vast Indian Ocean.
It was a storm happening out in the ocean that we could see. There were these huge clouds and so much rain falling, but it was all so far away. You could see how it was affecting the waves right beneath it — movement and waves crashing into each other. We were sitting there, and it was so quiet, not a single sound in the distance. It was just the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I don't know how to explain it. It felt like God was really present, and nothing could disturb that moment. It was like divine intervention, you know.
— Also you mentioned that music is one of the elements that bring you joy. As you love it, maybe you can share which one you love?
— I continuously listen to jazz, and I really love classical Arabic songs as well. It is from my upbringing; my dad and mom love this. Every morning when my parents are not at work, you are gonna hear classical Arabic music, and most of the time, it is Fairuz. Her music echoes throughout the house. I also really love French music, Jazz, and American songs, and I am open to anything Italian.
— And is there a song that makes you feel nostalgic?
— When I was young, every morning my dad would take us to school, and he would always play Fairuz. So I think literally any Fairuz song makes me feel nostalgic, like being young and on the way to school in the morning, with the smell of coffee in my dad's car at like 6 am.
— You love reading. What was the last book you have read?
— Recently, I read a book called "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson with my two best friends. We decided to start a little book club, so we began by reading this small horror book. I enjoy these books because they are really old, so the style of writing is quite different, and it's amusing to see what was considered scary back then. So yeah, I really enjoyed that.
— And you also write! What do you write?
— I don't normally share my writing because it is usually just thoughts. It helps me organise my thoughts and feelings. But I think recently — well, not very recently, it was like a year and a half ago, in 2022 — after the first time I went to the Dead Sea, I couldn't stop writing. I wrote so much. Eventually, I compiled a small poem, and I actually published it.
I don't know why I don't feel comfortable sharing my writing that much, but when I write about Palestine, it feels so fuelled with emotion that I can't help but share it, you know?
— What is your biggest fear?
— I never thought about it. But off the top of my head, I am very afraid of car accidents. And for sure, I am really afraid of losing any of my family members and my friends. I don't even want to think about that; that thought alone is honestly very terrifying.
— In one interview you gave many years ago, you mentioned that you experienced the loss. What was it?
— I have lost a lot of family members over the years; a bunch of my family has been through two wars. But that loss you are asking about was my uncle.
He was affected by an attack, and a bunch of shards had entered his body. They were all over his body. He had to seek medical help. Initially, he went to France, but France rejected him, so he went to the Netherlands, where he got medical attention.
However, there was one bomb shard that was lodged near his heart. They were not able to remove it because they were faced with a difficult decision: if they removed it, they risked losing him immediately, or they might be able to remove it, but it was a big gamble. So, they left it, and it stayed with him for many years.
He had children and visited us here in the UAE. Then, one day, he suddenly passed away from the complications caused by that little piece of metal that had been lodged in his heart for so long.
Yeah, stories like these are not easy to handle, especially seeing my dad and his siblings trying to navigate the emotions that come from being displaced from your country and continuously facing threats to your homeland. These are tough challenges, along with the larger sociopolitical questions and the loss of family.
— Again, thank you for this story, Lana. Now — AlRawabi School for Girls, Season 2 on Netflix. Wow, how did it happen?
— I will share the story from the very beginning. I was in a job that I wasn't happy with, and going to an office every day felt like holding me back from what I wanted to do. Even though the job was more flexible than traditional ones and allowed me to pursue modelling, I still wasn't content. After four years, I decided to quit.
As soon as I left, I received a casting call. I had never considered acting before and didn't think I had the confidence or skills, but I thought, "Why not?" So, I sent in my first audition, and they got back to me. We did the first official audition, and thankfully, they reached out again. I believe I did the final audition towards the end of May. Then they asked me to send a video of me singing, and I completely panicked. I had never sung before in my life. I froze for weeks, feeling nervous and unsure. Eventually, I decided to practice. Every time I drove my car, I would play songs and sing along loudly. Finally, one day, I felt ready to record. I did it, but I hated it. I turned off my phone and went back home. But the next day, I told myself I couldn't let fear hold me back. I went back to my car and tried again.
I recorded it and sent it. The next day, they told me I got the role, and I was like, "Wait, what? That is kind of crazy." Honestly, when I look back at the singing video that landed me the role, I think it is terrible. But I guess they saw potential in me and were willing to train me. So, I started training in August, and by October, I was recording the song that appeared on the show and rehearsing the scene for the performance.
— If you weren't a model, who would I be?
— That is a tough question! I don’t think I have been asked about this before. I would love to be a teacher!
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