Dates:

Wed 2 May 18:15 HOME, Manchester, M15 4FN homemcr.org 0161 200 1500

Tues 8 May 18:00 Showroom, Sheffield, S1 2BX showroomworkstation.org.uk 0114 275 7727

Wed 9 May 19:00 Midlands Arts Centre, B12 9QH macbirmingham.co.uk  0121 446 3232

 

Why have thousands of individuals in Gaza participated in what has been named the Great March of Return this month? This popular resistance has resulted in the death of 30 civilians including the cinematographer, Yaser Murtaja. A unique programme of short films aims to reflect on the events of 1948 that marked a decisive turning point in the Middle East. The majority of Palestinians were expelled or fled as the state of Israel was established. History is generally written by the victors and this is also true of the history that is recounted by cinema. Yet, there were always film makers who were determined to document the destruction of over 500 Palestinians villages, the fate of the people in refugee camps and their resistance. A programme of 9 short films by a diverse group of Palestinian film makers will recall both this forgotten history and contemporary Palestinian experience. Screening will take place at Showroom in Sheffield, HOME in Manchester and Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham at the beginning of May. The first part of the programme reflects directly on the events of the Nakba (the 1948 Catastrophe) and the dream of return through animation, oral testimony and digital technology.  The second part explores contemporary experiences, through traditional documentary, docu-drama and the film essay. The programme is organised as part of research for the Creative Interruptions research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, headed by Brunel University, with Sheffield Hallam University leading a strand on Palestinian cinema www.creativeinterruptions.net The screenings are organised in collaboration with Cinema Palestino Sheffield & Manchester and West Midlands Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

The Screenings will be introduced by Dr Anandi Ramamurthy, from Sheffield Hallam University, Co-Investigator for Creative Interruptions, an Arts and Humanities Research Council Project that aims to explore the way in which disenfranchised communities use the arts to have their voice heard. Post-screening discussion will take place with Dr Dani Abulhawa (Sheffield Hallam University) in Sheffield, Ruth Abu Rashed (University of Manchester) in Manchester, and Dr Marwan Darweish (University of Coventry) in Brimingham

 

Part One: History and exile

House  Ahmed Saleh 2011 (4mins)

Alyasiini Sahera Dirbas 2012 (22 mins)

Your father was born 100 years ago and so was the Nakba   Razan Al Slaah 2017 (7 mins)

Part Two: Contemporary dreams and realities

Oslo Syndrome (6 min) Ayman Azraq

Journey of a Sofa (9 min) Alaa Al Ali

Twenty Handshakes for Peace (3 min) Mahdi Fleifel

Message to Obama (7 min) Muhannad Salahat

Interference (11 min) Anim Nayfeh

Today they Took my Son (8mins) Farah Nabulsi

Programme length 77 mins

For more information please contact a.ramamurthy@shu.ac.uk