After several of his journalist colleagues were killed in Iraq, Ahmed Al-Zubidi applied for refugee status in the United States. After waiting seven years for approval, he was resettled in Oregon with his family. In this short film by Zach Putnam, we hear his children, 4-year-old Almas and 10-year-old Mustafa, explain what it was like to leave Iraq for Beaverton, Oregon. “When we came to America, I thought America was a dream,” says Mustafa in one of the more poignant opening scenes. “Now I’ve got my own room so I don’t have to share everything.” You can find more of Putnam’s work on his website. He is a master's student in Multimedia Journalism at the University of Oregon.