Amman - A wood-burning fireplace with the family gathered around it, young and old alike, a warm teapot, the sound of rain against the windows, and details so vivid you can almost smell the food in the corners of the house. These are scenes from old Jordanian life, in all their naturalness and simplicity, now resurfacing on phone screens in images created by artificial intelligence. They awaken a longing for details that remain alive in memory.
اضافة اعلان
Reviving the past is no longer limited to photo albums or the stories parents and grandparents tell. AI technology now produces video clips that recreate social life from past decades, in scenes that echo a time many people miss, whether they lived through it or only know it from the stories of those who came before them.
These videos, which bring back the details of Jordanian life in earlier times, are shared across social media, and draw engagement from scenes that seem familiar to different generations. They range from the family dining table and children's games in the alleys, to the old box-screen television and the gatherings around it to watch programmes and serials.
In one clip that recreates rural Jordanian life, a grandmother prepares olive preserves and arranges the olives in glass jars, while the grandfather prepares the oil. The scene evokes the harvest season and the household customs and family participation that go with it.
Other scenes move to the alleys and to traditional children's games, where children gather in small groups to spend long hours together at a time when screens and electronic devices were not present. The clips also bring back the old television that gathered the family in one room, the dial telephone, traditional furniture, and family photographs hanging on the walls.
Some clips revive the custom of sleeping on rooftops on summer nights under the open sky, a practice some Jordanian households knew before air conditioning and changing ways of living became widespread. These practices were part of the rhythm of daily life and carried meanings of connection, closeness and belonging to a place.
It is striking that much of the engagement with these clips is not driven by the beauty of the image or the strangeness of the technology alone, but by the feelings they stir about a time when family gatherings and shared activities were a central part of daily life.
The wood stove was not merely a means of heating, and the preserving of olives was not merely preparation for winter. Playing in the alley was not just a way to pass the time. These details were spaces for connection, sharing and building relationships.
In his comment on the clips, Omar expresses his deep longing for the past days and for family gatherings in their old home, recalling his life in that period, when he lived without worries.
In another comment, Munther thanks the creator of the clips for making such videos, saying they take viewers on a journey to a beautiful past, especially with the addition of old songs, radio sounds and music that intensify the atmosphere of nostalgia and bring back the fragrance of that era.
Jumana, for her part, describes the deep emotional impact the videos have on her, and the feelings of nostalgia and pain they stir. Watching them brings back memories of her parents, which reflects the power of these clips to evoke feelings and memories that remain alive in people's hearts, despite the passing years.
Rawaa, who designs clips using artificial intelligence and publishes her work through the account "Tafaseel Dafiya" (Warm Details), told Al Ghad: "The idea of recalling the past and the details of old life had been on my mind for some time, and I wanted to create content that takes people back to the atmosphere they lived through or heard about from their parents and grandparents, through scenes that combine image, sound and details with a familiar Jordanian character."
She explained that her connection to the past is rooted in family memories, above all her grandmother's stories and family gatherings. It is also driven by a wish to introduce younger generations to details of Jordanian life they have not lived, and to revive social values that have begun to fade, such as close relations between neighbours, family visits and shared evenings.
She stressed that she does not seek to portray the past as better than the present, but to highlight the simplicity, tenderness, closeness and attention to small details that life then carried, and which she hopes will remain part of people's relationships today.
Rawaa said her interest in this type of content led her to learn AI tools and use them to design the clips. The idea goes beyond producing old-looking pictures, building complete scenes that echo everyday life, from homes, furniture and traditional games to customs, family gatherings and the atmosphere of the seasons.
She said the response to the page has exceeded her expectations, as shown by the growing number of followers and reactions to her work, which reflects the emotions she set out to convey reaching the audience.
She found that the comments from followers brought back memories of childhood, family and loved ones who have passed away, as well as nostalgia for atmospheres, homes and details that still live in the memory. She noted that what distinguishes the experience is that each person recalls different memories, even though they all react to the same scenes.
Rawaa hopes that "Warm Details" will remain a space that preserves part of Jordanian memory, allows younger generations to get to know the lives of their parents and grandparents, and reminds people of the value of the human and social relationships that once formed an essential part of their lives.
She also stressed that the most beautiful memories are not necessarily tied to major events or exceptional things, but are often hidden in small details we lived without realising how much we would miss them as time passed.
Psychologist Dr Khawla Al-Suaydeh sees the revival of memories that take people back to details of past life as touching a deep human side, linked to people's nature and their tendency towards nostalgia and recalling moments they have lived, especially those tied to people, places and details that have disappeared or changed over time.
Al-Suaydeh explained that memories, whether happy or sad, leave a clear mark on a person's psychology and the way they express their feelings. Recalling scenes from the past can restore a sense of warmth, security and attachment to people and places that were once part of their life.
She believes what drives people to hold on to images of the past and revisit them in their imagination is a search for the feelings of comfort and psychological stability associated with that period.
She stressed that revisiting the past and feeling nostalgic is natural, but what matters most is that it does not become an attachment that stops a person from engaging with their present. Rather, these memories should be a source of positive feelings and a motivation to create new beautiful moments.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by: Taghreed Al-Suaydeh
