Location Scouting in Palestine (1965)

Documentary, 54m

In 1963, accompanied by a newsreel photographer and a Catholic priest, Piero Paolo Pasolini traveled to Palestine to investigate the possibility of filming his biblical epic The Gospel According to Matthew in its approximate historical locations. Edited by The Gospel‘s producer for potential funders and distributors, Location Scouting in Palestine features semi-improvised commentary from Pasolini as its only soundtrack. As we travel from village to village, we listen to Pasolini’s idiosyncratic musings on the teachings of Christ and witness his increasing disappointment with the people and landscapes he sees before him.

Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Producers: Alfredo Bini

Cinematography: Otello Martelli, Aldo Pinelli

The Journey of the Others (2019)

Documentary, 74m

In the hot summer of northern Palestine, in the main hall of the Jenin Freedom Theater, a group of brave actors rehearse a play, risking their lives to fulfill their dream of premiering it in New York.

Six years have passed since the theater's founder, Juliano Mer Khamis, was brutally murdered, but his death only fanned the flame that ignited the Freedom Theater: art as the heart of peaceful cultural resistance.

Summer is coming to an end, but the heat seems to increase with the nervousness that runs through every corner of the theater. The cast is just a few days away from trying to travel to New York. Will they make it?

Director: Jaime Villareal

Producers: Benjamín Vicuña, Paola Facuse, Maurice Khamis, Javiera Khamis, Khalid Massou, Mohammed Youseff

Featuring: Zoe Lafferty, Mohammed Yousef, Ahmed Tobasi, Motaz Malhees

Foragers (2022)

Documentary, 65m

Foragers depicts the dramas around the practice of foraging for wild edible plants in Palestine/Israel with wry humor and a meditative pace. Shot in the Golan Heights, the Galilee and Jerusalem, it moves between fiction, documentary and archival footage to portray the impact of Israeli nature protection laws on these customs. The restrictions prohibit the collection of the artichoke-like ’akkoub and za’atar (thyme), and have resulted in fines and trials for hundreds caught collecting these native plants.

For Palestinians, these laws constitute an ecological veil for legislation that further alienates them from their land while Israeli state representatives insist on their scientific expertise and duty to protect. Following the plants from the wild to the kitchen, from the chases between the foragers and the nature patrol, to courtroom defenses, Foragers captures the inherited love, joy and knowledge in these traditions alongside their resilience to the prohibitive law. By reframing the terms and constraints of preservation, the film raises questions around the politics of extinction, namely who determines what is made extinct and what gets to live on.

Directed and Produced by: Jumana Manna

Camera: Marte Vold, Ashraf Dowani, Yaniv Linton

Editors: Jumana Manna, Katrin Ebersohn

Featuring: Aziza Manna, Adel Manna, Zeidan Hajib, Majmoud Shawahde, Ihab Salameh, Najma Hamdan, Samir Na’amneh

Leila and the Wolves (1984)

Drama, 1h 30m

Refusing colonial and masculine readings of the past, Leila, a Lebanese student, travels through time and space, reflecting on 80 years of Middle Eastern history. From the British Mandate to the Lebanese Civil War, she reveals the hidden role of women, and discovers that the Patriarchy also oppresses men.

Shot over seven years, and in often treacherous conditions, Heiny Srour’s film is a masterpiece of filmmaking, mixing together archival footage, fairy-tale storytelling, aesthetically bold imagery, and dramatizations of situations faced by women in Lebanon and Palestine.

Writer & Director: Heiny Srour

Directors of Photography: Curtis Clark, Charlet Recors

Editor: Eva Houdova

Starring: Nabila Zeitouni, Rafic Ali Ahmed, Emilia Fouad, Ferial Abillamah

Rachel (2009)

Documentary, 1h 40m

An insightful and provocative exploration into the complexities of political solidarity, Rachel is the story of Rachel Corrie, a 22-year-old American member of the International Solidarity Movement, who was killed while trying to prevent an Israeli army bulldozer from destroying Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip in 2003. Director Simone Bitton aligns her filmmaking methodology with the ISM's guidelines to state only objective and concrete details without placing judgment. Balancing interviews with the Israeli Defense Force's current and former personnel and the participants and leaders in the ISM, Bitton examines the circumstances surrounding the unresolved case of Corrie's death.

Director: Simone Bitton

Cinematography: Jacques Bouquin

Editors: Jean-Michel Perez & Catherine Poitevin

Goal Dreams (2006)

Documentary, 86m

The Palestinian national soccer team consists of players of all different nationalities. There are a few from Chile, one from the United States, from Lebanon, and some from Gaza. Their coach is the Austrian Alfred Riedl. It is his demanding task to prepare the team in a training camp in the Egyptian city of Ismaïlia for the international match against Uzbekistan, which should pave the way to the World Cup. The film follows the team in the weeks leading up to this key game.

There are many problems along the way. In particular, it is almost impossible for the players from Gaza to travel. Despite an official document that permits them to travel to Egypt, they have to wait for days before being allowed to cross the border. Meanwhile, tensions mount in the training camp. There is a confusion of tongues, as everyone is speaking a different language and the interpreters are not all that competent. It also proves difficult to adapt the different playing styles to one another. The training seems doomed to fail, but the players keep up the morale. After all, this team is more than just a soccer team: it is one of the few ways for the Palestinian people to promote their national identity and pride.

Directors: Maya Sanbar & Jeffrey Saunders

Cinematography: Carlos Gomez

Editors: Richard Lowe & Matyas Veress

Curfew (1993)

Drama, 72m

Curfew is the story of a Palestinian family living in a refugee camp in the year 1993. At the start of the film, the Israeli army announces a curfew which will last until further notice. Abu Raji’s family has just received a letter from one son studying in Germany when they are interrupted by the news. Streets empty, doors shut, and stores close. But even in such strange times, family drama continues just like always. The story captures 24 hours within the life of one household, representing the drama of a people that has lasted for decades.  

The debut feature by director Rashid Masharawi, Curfew is also the first feature film by a director from Gaza. It premiered at the 17th Cairo International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Golden Pyramid for Best Film.

Writer & Director: Rashid Masharawi

Executive Producer : Hany Abu-Assad

Director of Photography: Klaus Juliusburger

Editor: Hadara Oren

Set & Art Director: Sharif Waked

Director Assistants: Anwar Hassan & Vidi Bilu

Camera Assistant: Ehab Assal

Starring:

Salim Daw

Areen Omari

Na’ila Zayaad

Mahmoud Qadah

Younis Younis

Assem Zoabi

Lotof Nweser

Salwa Naqara Haddad

Resistance — Why (1971)

Documentary, 58m

In 1970, at the initiative of Soraya Antonius (Fifth of June Society), Christian Ghazi and Noureddine Chatti met with a number of Arab political figures, in particular Palestinians residing in Lebanon.

In the documentary produced, Ghassan Kanafani, Sadiq Jalal El-Azm, Nabil Shaath and others share their vision of the Palestinian revolution, tracing its history back to the early 20th century. These testimonies describe the strikes and popular protests that took place in Palestine under the Ottoman occupation, followed by British colonization and the settlement of the Jewish state in 1948. They enumerate the objectives of the struggle, emphasizing the necessity for a free and democratic Palestine, defended through armed or non-armed struggle by all its citizens, men and women of various affiliations.

Director: Christian Ghazi

Scenario: Soraya Antonius

Music: Matar Mohammad

Camera: Christian Ghazi & Noureddit Chatti

Sound: Noureddin Chatti

Editor: Christian Ghazi

Printing and Processing: Baalbeck Studios S.A.L.

Produced by: Fifth of June Society

Restored by: Nadi Lekol Nas & Arsenal-Berlin

Canticle of the Stones (1990)

Drama, 1h 40m

In his second feature, director Michel Khleifi tells the story of two Palestinian lovers, now in their forties. Two decades after being forced apart by the 1967 war, they are reunited in Jerusalem, in the midst of the Intifada. Lyrically blending fact and fiction, Canticle of the Stones juxtaposes the nostalgic dialogue of the long-lost lovers with verité documentation of the popular struggle unfolding on the streets of Palestine. Against a backdrop of resistance and repression, they fall in love again.

Writer & Director: Michel Khleifi

Editor: Moufida Tlatli

Cinematography: Raymond Fromont

Original Music: Jean-Marie Senia

Starring: Bushra Karaman, Makhram Khoury

Official Selection: Cannes Film Festival, 1990

“A very powerful and unapologetically partisan document.”

— The Philadelphia Inquirer

Gaza (2019)

Documentary, 1h 32m

Facing the serene Mediterranean Sea, 17-year-old Karma Khaial stands at the water's edge and senses freedom. But in Gaza, the sea is yet another wall restricting the lives and dreams of its inhabitants.

Premiering at Sundance in 2019, Gaza was selected as the Irish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Directors: Garry Keane & Andrew McConnell

Editor: Mick Mahon

Location Management: Fady Hannona

The Apollo of Gaza (2018)

Documentary, 78m

Co-produced by Akka Films and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), The Apollo of Gaza, directed by Swiss filmmaker Nicolas Wadimoff, tries to uncover the secrets behind this stunning archaeological discovery. Filmed in Gaza and Jerusalem, the film plays out like a mystery – one full of unexpected plot twists, as Wadimoff tracks down those who saw the priceless statue or who have heard stories about it. Is it the work of forgers, or a gift from the gods to Palestinians desperately in need of hope? There are a lot of unknowns, but one thing is sure: the Apollo of Gaza soon becomes an object of speculation and greed, its very existence feeding the wildest rumours, and blurring the line between truth and lie, myth and reality.

Beyond the local political rivalries and international concerns, The Apollo of Gaza is an engaging reflection on the passage of time and the cycles of history. It’s a history that has seen the birth, growth, and death of great civilizations, in a part of the world marked by the endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the besieged Gaza strip continues to pay a heavy price.

Director: Nicolas Wadimoff

Flying Paper (2013)

Documentary, 52m

Flying Paper is the uplifting story of Palestinian children in Gaza on a quest to shatter the Guinness World Record for the most kites ever flown. It showcases the creative resilience of these children making and flying kites despite the odds. The film has been co-produced with young Palestinians in Gaza trained by the filmmakers through a youth media program called Voices Beyond Walls.

While the record-breaking event is what drives the film’s narrative arc, it is the everyday stories of the young kite makers that will touch audiences through their humor and playful spirit. The film seeks to humanize the conflict through a touching cinematic rendering of the fascinating kite culture among children as a form of creative resistance in Gaza. Film website: FlyingPaper.org

Directors: Nitin Sawhney and Roger Hill

Rainbow (2004)

Documentary 40m

A video essay meditating on the aftermath of "Operation Rainbow", an Israeli military operation in the Palestinian town of Rafah, Gaza Strip, in 2004.

“These are people who have crossed my path...Some of these rose from among the debris. Carrying their tears, some were looking for answers to worries that haunted them...Others were exhausted by contemplating the reality ...They appeared like me...I used to love the camera and believe in what it could do to transfer the pain...forget sorrows, or may be promise of a better life.”

Director: Abdel Salam Shehada

Gaza Strip (2002)

Documentary 74m

A "slice-of-life" documentary set in Gaza City, following the inner and outer lives of a 13-year-old boy, a self-styled revolutionary, as he struggles to find meaning in his life while his friends are killed around him, one by one.

“In early 2001 I spent three months in Gaza filming material for this documentary, GAZA STRIP, working with local fixer and translator, Mohammed Mohanna. The second Palestinian uprising against Israeli military occupation had begun in September, 2000, four months before I started filming.

Though the period this documentary covers includes the election of Ariel Sharon as Israeli Prime Minister and large incursions by the Israeli Defense Forces into Gaza, in retrospect the time depicted here is one of relative quiet. More recent Israeli attacks against Gaza have been far more destructive and deadly than what falls into the scope of this film.

The time since the release of this film in 2002 has seen many changes, including the evacuation of illegal Israeli settlements inside the Gaza Strip and the election of Hamas. However, the occupation and attacks against Gaza continue, and the blockade of Gaza has intensified. It is my hope that this film will provide a partial introduction to Gaza for those who have come to the subject recently, and also serve as a document of its time.”

Directors: James Longley

Not Just Your Picture (2021)

Documentary 55m

Not Just Your Picture tells the story of siblings Layla (24) and Ramsis (26), born and raised in the city of Siegen in Germany. Their Palestinian father, Ibrahim, came to study architecture in Germany in the 80’s, but moved back to the Gaza Strip following his divorce from their German mother. He then remarried and had five children. In the summer of 2014, during an attack on Gaza, Ibrahim, his wife and their five children were killed after the building they were sheltering in was hit by an Israeli airstrike and collapsed.

Layla and Ramsis’ grief set them on a journey of political awakening: Layla travels to Palestine, hoping to learn about her roots and see the reality on the ground for herself. Ramsis tours in Europe, retelling his family’s story while pursuing a legal case against the State of Israel through the German courts. In the meantime, their family in Gaza is trying to come to terms with the aftermath of the tragedy as their uncle Saleh wishes to meet his brother’s children who he never saw as adults. Moving between Gaza and Germany, the past and the present, the film follows the family’s wish to reunite, mourning their loved ones and search for unattainable justice.

Directors: Anne Paq, Dror Dayan

Editor: Dror Dayan

Additional Cinematography: Ezz Zaanoun, Michal Grosz, Ahmad Al-Bazz, Eloise Bollack

Produced in Association with: Al Jazeera Media Network

Erasmus in Gaza (2022)

Documentary 1h 28m

Riccardo, an Italian final-year medical student, is going on Erasmus. The destination: Gaza. Entering is not easy, requiring permission from three different authorities: the Israeli army, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

In crossing the border between Israel and the Strip, Riccardo also crosses the boundary between adolescence and adulthood, a journey of personal struggle that will test whether or not he truly has the strength to pursue his dreams.

Directors: Chiara Avesani, Matteo Delbò

Editor: Antonio Labbro Francia

Producer: Eva Fontanals

Alpes (2021)

Documentary 65m

In the heart of the Alps, in the secrecy of the dark and cold night, women and men come to the aid of migrants who emerge from the French-Italian border. In solidarity, they organise themselves illegally to escape police controls and repression on these mountain paths and help those who try to enter France at the risk of their lives. Alps is a journey that departs from solidarity and leads to an encounter with humanity.

Director: Nael Khleifi

Producer: Alice Lemaire

Image: Diego Romero Suarez Llanos
            Thomas de Hemptine
            Sébastien Alouf
            Nael Khleifi

Sound: Barbara Perez Bugallo
             Céline Bodson

Editing: Pauline Fonsny

Naji Al-Ali: An Artist with Vision (1999)

Documentary 53m

In July 1987 the Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali was shot by an unknown assassin. This film traces his life and work from his birth in Galilee to his death in London. It examines the forces that shaped Naji as an artist and as a human being, and shows how his experiences mirror that of other exiled Palestinians.

Director: Kasim Abid

Standstill (2013)

Drama, 1h 44m

After the political crisis in Kanesatake’s reserve, Arihote (Atewena:ron David Deerhouse), a Kanienkehaka "Mohawk", sometime war photographer, and his wife parted ways. While trying to help his son who has committed a misdemeanor, Arihote, whose life is in a rut, happens upon the revenge killing of a neighbor by Wedad (Meissoon Azzaria), a Palestinian refugee. Loath to get involved in a police investigation, Arihote finds himself helping Wedad to leave the crime scene. Arihote finally begins to rebuild his relationship with his son, and to focus on resolving his feelings about both his wife’s departure and his father’s suicide. The chance encounter between Arihote and Wedad sets each of them on a new course.

Writer & Director: Majdi El-Omari

Cinematographer: Stéphanie Weber Biron

Music: Antoine Bustros

Editor: Majdi El-Omari

Starring:

Atewena:Ron David Deerhous

Meissoon Azzaria

Iohahi:Io Curotte

Skawennati Madelaine Montour

Tatum Ieronhienhawi Mccomber

This Is My Picture When I Was Dead (2010)

Documentary, 1h 14m

Athens, 1983. The world press reports that 4-year old Bashir is killed in the assassination of his father, Mamoun Mraish, a top PLO lieutenant. Father and son are declared dead but when they arrive at the hospital Bashir turns out to be still alive. But if Bashir is fully alive today, what happened to the dream he and his father were believed to have died for?

Writer & Director: Mahmoud al Massad

Cinematographer: Bassam Sammy Chekhes

Original Music by: Gingger Shankar

Starring:

Bashir Mammon Mraish

Nahil Mammon Mraish

Ayoub Belkasmi

Naji Anu Nowar

Nordin Orahhou