Student films reveal life in Palestine
火博体育大学 students gained a glimpse of what life is like in Palestine from a young person’s perspective at the screening event “Palestinian Voices” on March 28 at the 唐氏教学博物馆.
The screening was the second in a four-part series and featured seven films created and directed by student filmmakers or recent graduates from universities around the 世界. Each film showed a different angle of daily life in Palestine.
Sarah Friedland, director of the MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute, collaborated with 10 different universities in the West Bank to create an “open call” for films. 说话 about her goal for the series, she said she wanted to “represent different locations in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza and show the variation within the lives that are lived in those places.”
Friedland also said, “This [area] is a very complex place with a variety of different lives … much more than we normally see represented in the media here.”
Students from all class years attended the screening, and many intend to use it as a jump-start for further conversations.
“The films did a great job of showcasing a variety of different aspects of Palestinian life and sharing stories from refugees, prisoners, parents and those struggling to simply make a living,” said Wyeth Taylor ’19. “My favorite film was 鱼的记忆. Told from a child’s perspective, it shared an innocent and hopeful outlook, unlike the darker tone of some of the other films.”
Alana Pogostin ’20 said her previous travels and experiences in Israel inspired her 参加. After gaining multiple perspectives from natives in Tel Aviv, she wanted to learn more so she could better understand the Palestinian perspective.
Following the 电影放映s, students participated in a Skype discussion with Baha’ Abu Shanab, director of 《鸽子的生活. He shared his inspirations and thoughts about creating the film and also reflected on how he would have made different decisions if he had the chance. Shanab’s openness and willingness to answer questions was well-received by the audience.
“Palestinian Voices” shed light on perspectives that are not common to the American public and furthered dialogue for Skidmore students and the larger community.
The next part of the series will take place on April 26 at 6 p.m. 在萨默斯房间 唐代教学博物馆.
The films screened included:
- 我们热爱生活, a portrait of graffiti artist Bilal Khaled in Gaza, by Mohammed S. 阿克萨的教徒 大学
- 《鸽子的生活, a poetic observation of day laborers going through a checkpoint, by Baha’ Abu Shanab of Dar Al-Kalima 大学
- 鱼的记忆, a whimsical story of sibling rivalry and the power of a pet fish, by Yousef Salhi, 勃菜特大学
- 一支来自马吉多的笔, about the risky hopes for one couple divided by incarceration, by Mohammad Houshieh and Lana Sadaqa of Al Quds 大学
- 笼子里, on “the hazards of catching birds in Gaza,” by Khaled Tuaima of 勃菜特大学
- 一天79, one man detained in a theater of the absurd, by Wisam Al-Jafari of Dar Al-Kalima 大学文学院 & 文化
- 记者,暂停, one child’s comedic view of the media coverage in Palestine, by Sanabel Al-Hoot, Salam Yahya, and Renad Nasser of Al Quds 大学
The event was sponsored by the John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS), the Environmental Studies and Sciences Program, the 唐氏教学博物馆, the International Affairs Program, the Media and Film Studies Program, the Department of Art History, the Department of History, Hayat, and the Office of the 学院院长/Vice President 学术事务.
Photos provided by Amanda Peckler '20
作者简介
吉莉安节目里 is from Amherst, Massachusetts and is a senior history and political
火博体育的理科专业. You can find her giving tours to perspective families,
trying new places to eat in Saratoga, or helping run the college's social media accounts
on behalf of the Office of Communications and Marketing.