We’re currently in a worldwide crisis of building
walls, as divisions both physical and psychological threaten to splinter and
force global populations ever further apart. From Brexit to the president’s
dangerously misguided plans for a border wall with Mexico, humankind seems more
determined than ever to insulate itself from anyone different.
Each
year the Witness Palestine Film Festival turns our eyes to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to a place where such barriers have caused
incalculable harm over the course of decades. The festival presents a series of
films, talkbacks, and events that seek to foster change and cultivate empathy.
In so doing, it offers a reminder of how important it is to seek out the
perspectives of the lives those walls have hurt.
The
eighth annual Witness Palestine Film Festival is scheduled for October 14 to November
9, and will include five film screenings, one at St. John Fisher College and
four at The Little Theatre.
As
has become tradition, the festival will conclude with a “Celebrate Palestine”
dinner with an array of Middle Eastern cuisine. That event will also feature a
presentation by Boston-based Palestinian-American guest speaker Nadia
Abuelezam, creator of Palestinians Podcast and research fellow at the Harvard
School of Public Health. Abuelezam will speak about the unifying nature of
storytelling and the resilience of the Palestinian people.
The
“Celebrate Palestine” dinner will be held on Saturday, November 9, 5:30 to 8
p.m. at the Asbury First United Methodist Church (1050 East Avenue). Tickets
are $20 at the door, though advance registration is required by November 2.
Those planning to attend can contact CelebratePalestine@wpff.us.
A
complete schedule with times, locations, and other details may be found at witnesspalestinerochester.org.
Tickets for the films shown at The Little are $8 (students $5) and will be
available through The Little Theatre box office.
What
follows is a brief look at the films being presented at this year’s festival.
An undercover investigation by news organization Al
Jazeera, the eye-opening “The Lobby USA” delves into the BDS campaign, a nonviolent means for Palestinians and fellow
supporters to protest Israel’s occupation by boycotting goods originating from
that country. One of the film’s subjects, activist Summer Awad, will
participate via Skype in a post-screening discussion. (Monday, October 14, 6:30 p.m. St John Fisher
College, free admission.)
“Firefighters Under
Occupation” takes a look at the difficulties faced by firefighters
in Palestine, and the ways their already dangerous jobs are made all the more
perilous by the occupation. Filmed by Welsh firefighter and filmmaker Ciaran
Gibbons in 2015 during a time of increased violence in the region, the film
also chronicles the humanitarian support given to Palestinian firefighters by
The Fire Brigade Union of the UK. Writer-director-producer Ciaran Gibbons will
be in attendance along with one of the firefighters featured in the film, Jim
Malone. (Sunday, October 20, 2:30 p.m. The Little.)
The uplifting documentary “Soufra” tells the inspirational story of determined entrepreneur Mariam Shaar, who’s
lived all of her 42 years in the Burj El Barajneh refugee camp just south of
Beirut, Lebanon. The film follows Shaar as she embarks on a quest to fulfill
her long-held dreams, recruiting women of the camp to help start a small
kitchen, from which she hopes to create the first refugee food truck and
successful catering company. A Skype Q&A with director Thomas Morgan will
follow the screening. (Monday, October 21, 6:30
p.m. The Little.)
“The Great Book Robbery” chronicles the heartbreaking destruction of Palestinian culture, focusing on
the theft of tens of thousands of books and manuscripts taken from the homes of
expelled Palestinians by officials and Israeli forces after ethnic cleansing
operations of 1948-49. Dutch-Israeli filmmaker Benny Brunner join in a
discussion via Skype after the film. (Sunday,
October 27, 2:30 p.m. The Little.)
Through interviews with veterans, refugees, survivors,
and historians, the gripping “1948: Creation and
Catastrophe” offers powerful, first-hand, personal recollections
of both Palestinians and Israelis, who tell the story of the establishment of
Israel by focusing on the events of one pivotal year in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Co-directors Andy Trimlett and Ahlam Muhtaseb will join in a
post-film discussion via Skype. (Monday,
October 28, 6:30 p.m. The Little.)
This article appears in Oct 9-15, 2019.
