Ajyal Film Club
Ajyal Film Club – Session 2
- Start date:
- 25 June, 2021
- Ability Level:
- Beginner
Session 2: Films for Palestine
The metaphor of Palestine is stronger than the metaphor of reality” as the poet Mahmoud Darwish once said, the narrative of Palestine that is being written and dispersed may be the only thing pushing it forward and keeping it the public realm. A land that has been in occupation and whose inhabitants have been exiled from, are telling stories to keep the memory of it alive.
In this session, we will examine the ways in which this narrative has been told and retold through various filmmaking methods that utilize both fact and fiction to document the reality of Palestine.
Mohaq (8–12 years old)
The Present
Winner of Hilal Best Short Film at Ajyal 2020
On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his daughter, Yasmine, set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between the soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, how easy would it be to go shopping? This BAFTA-winning and Academy Award-nominated short film is the directorial debut of Palestinian-British filmmaker Farah Nabulsi.
Director: Farah Nabulsi
Short Narrative
2020 / 24 mins
Watch now on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81424328
My Neighbourhood
Mohammed El Kurd is a Palestinian boy growing up in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in the heart of East Jerusalem. When Mohammed turns 11, his family is forced to give up part of their home to Israeli settlers, who are leading a campaign of court-sanctioned evictions to guarantee Jewish control of the area.
Director: Julia Bacha, Rebekah Wingert
Short Documentary
2012 / 25 mins
Watch now on Netflix: https://justvision.org/myneighbourhood/watch
Hilal (13–17 years old) / Bader (18–25 years old)
200 Meters
Winner of Bader Best Feature Film at Ajyal 2020
Mustafa and his wife Salwa are from two Palestinian West Bank villages only 200 meters apart but split by Israel’s separation wall. Mustafa lives on the Palestinian-controlled side of the wall, and Salwa and their children on the Israeli side. One day Mustafa gets the call every parent dreads—his son has been in an accident and is in the hospital. Mustafa will do anything to reach him, and after being denied access through the checkpoint on a technicality, he embarks upon a journey to cross the border illegally. The 200-meter distance soon becomes a 200-kilometer odyssey. Palestinian director Ameen Nayfeh’s debut drama shows us the life-threatening struggles of daily life under occupation in an urgent story of resistance, dignity, family and hope.
Director: Ameen Nayfeh
Feature Narrative
2020 / 96 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhhF3Hr9bEw