Dreaming of Palestine
+Documentary Program
+Palestinian Story Sharing
Sunday, 10/1 at St Anthony Main Theatre
11:00 a.m.
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DREAMING OF PALESTINE: FILM AND ORAL HISTORY
This segment remembers the massacres at Sabra and Shatila in 1982, which claimed the lives of many Palestinians. It also marks 50 years since the devastating Arab-Israeli war in 1967. Please join us after the film screenings for stories from local Palestinians living in diaspora, as they share their memories of home, loss, history, and life.
Mizna invites members of the Palestinian community to share their personal and family stories of Sabra and Shatila, the Naksa, and any stories of the occupation. If you’re thinking of sharing your story, let us know here.
GAZA. A GAPING WOUND
Anne Paq and Ala Qandil
short / documentary
2016 / 14 mins
Palestine / Poland
Arabic with English subtitles
Minnesota premiere
In 2014, an Israeli military offensive in Gaza persisted for 51 days, claiming the lives of 2,200, injuring 11,000 more, and leaving 100,000 homeless. The war, so closely watched by the media, was measured and counted, but the statistics cannot reflect the loss of a loved one, the bombing of a family home, or the trauma that comes after the ceasefire. Part of a multimedia project that can be explored at obliteratedfamilies.com, Gaza: A Gaping Wound tells the stories of the survivors.
Festivals:
Féile Phobail Festival, Ireland, 2016
Anne Paq is an award-winning freelance photographer and videographer with a background in international human rights law. She lived in Palestine for more than a decade. Her work has been exhibited worldwide and published in various media outlets such as the Al Jazeera, Haaretz, The Huffington Post, and Electronic Intifada.
Ala Qandil is a Polish-Palestinian journalist who covers stories from Palestine and is a former correspondent of the Polish Press Agency. She produced and co-directed a short documentary about food resistance in Palestine called Resistance Recipes (2013). Qandil is also a co-founder of Reporters’ Collective, an initiative of Polish writers based in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
THE PIANIST OF YARMOUK
Vikram Ahluwalia
short / documentary
2017 / 14 mins
Syria / UK / Germany
Arabic with English subtitles
Minnesota premiere
This short documentary tells the story of Aeham Ahmad’s migration from Syria. A classically-trained musician, Ahmad rose to international prominence in 2014 after being filmed singing songs of peace amid the rubble of his beloved hometown of Yarmouk—a besieged Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus.
Vikram Ahluwalia is an activist and creative consultant, producing events and campaigns in support of humanitarian causes. He has curated major projects for Amnesty International, The Guardian, International Alert, and a range of grassroots organizations.
THE DREAM (AL-MANAM)
Mohamad Malas
documentary
1987 / 45 mins
Syria
Arabic with English subtitles
Recently digitized, Syrian director Mohamed Malas’ The Dream (al-Manam) celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The film is composed of interviews with Palestinian refugees from the camps of Sabra, Shatila, Bourj el-Barajneh, Ain al-Hilweh, and Rashidieh in Lebanon. Asked to describe their dreams at night, each person tells their story of Palestine.
Mohamad Malas, considered among the Syrian auteur directors, has directed numerous documentary and narrative films, including Dreams of the City (1983), Passions (2005), and Ladder of Damascus (2013), which screened at the 2014 Twin Cities Arab Film Festival.
PERMISSION TO NARRATE: PALESTINIAN STORIES OF OCCUPATION AND DISPLACEMENT
To mark the 35 years since the massacres at Sabra and Shatila and the 50 years since the Naksa (the 1967 War), and in honor of nearly 70 years of occupation of Palestine, we welcome you to join us for two opportunities for story sharing, Permission to Narrate: Palestinian Stories of Occupation & Displacement.
Mizna invites members of the Palestinian community to share their personal and family stories of Sabra and Shatila, the Naksa, and any stories of the occupation. We welcome members of the broader community to attend as allies, to help us create a respectful space of respect and solidarity, and to be present to listen and learn.
