As a long-time follower of the El Gouna Film Festival and someone who deeply appreciates the power of cinema to bring attention to important issues, I admire the unwavering commitment of this year’s festival team to shining a light on the Palestinian experience. The ongoing conflict in Gaza is heartbreaking, and it’s inspiring to see the festival using its platform to amplify the voices of those who are often overlooked or silenced.
Following the cancellation of the 2022 event, the El Gouna Film Festival team eagerly anticipated a strong comeback in 2023. However, they were forced to delay the festival three times due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. During a reduced version of the festival held in December, they addressed the situation by introducing a special section called “Window on Palestine,” featuring films like Farah Nabulsi’s “The Teacher” and discussions about Palestinian filmmaking during turbulent times.
As the conflict persists, and the festival prepares for its seventh installment from October 24th to November 1st in an Egyptian beach town, the organizers have opted to reintroduce the Window of Palestine program for a second time. This year’s lineup includes several Palestinian productions such as Laila Abbas’ “Thanks for Banking With Us!”, Maha Haj’s award-winning short “Upshot” from Locarno, and Mohammed Almughanni’s “An Orange From Jaffa”, which narrates the tale of a young Palestinian attempting to pass through an Israeli checkpoint. This film received the Special Jury Prize at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Regarding the ongoing situation in Gaza, we are reinstating the Window on Palestine initiative for this year’s event. We will present a variety of feature and short films that provide a glimpse into the lives of Palestinians. These films underscore the resilience, compassion, and fortitude of a people enduring hardship. In these challenging times, it is crucial to amplify their voices and share their tales.
(Editor’s remark: Israel denies accusations of genocide, stating they are baseless and rely on biased and inaccurate assertions.)
In the lineup, Palestine and Lebanon play significant roles, starting from the ‘Palestine Window’ segment to the films chosen across the entire program, along with the jury members,” said artistic director Marianne Khoury in an interview with EbMaster. She also emphasized that the festival will highlight Lebanese cinema production as tensions escalate within the country.
When someone queried me about the significance of featuring a program centered on Palestine at a festival like El Gouna, I emphasized that it’s “absolutely crucial” and a vital aspect of our current programming. “As a regional festival, it’s imperative we engage with global issues affecting us all, not just Palestinians or Lebanese. We’re all interconnected in this, so it’s absolutely crucial. Frankly, I can’t imagine it any other way.
2024 finds Andrew Mohsen, head of programming, in a position he hadn’t envisioned: reprogramming the strand once more, over a year after conflicts ignited in Palestine. “The situation has only grown worse since then,” he stated. “Massacres persist, and there’s been no change. We feel compelled to keep amplifying the voices of Palestinian filmmakers and demonstrate that, despite their struggles to survive, they continue to create and strive to share their films.
In crafting my review for this collection of films, I wanted to highlight not only the groundbreaking documentary ‘Window on Palestine,’ but also include a selection of more contemporary works. My aim was to showcase how modern filmmakers, amidst challenging circumstances, continue to find ways to express their thoughts and perspectives.
Mohsen underscored that it was crucial for the festival to provide a platform for discussions on the current and future state of Palestinian filmmaking amidst conflict, offering solace and opportunity to filmmakers in distressing times. “The filmmakers I’ve encountered this past year are fully aware of the hardships but wish to participate in the festival and bring attention to their plight. While festivals primarily focus on entertainment and culture, this dialogue is equally essential within a festival context. We will persist in, and indeed amplify, the voices that need our support.
The conflict in Gaza started on October 7 with Hamas launching attacks against Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily civilians, and 251 hostages being taken. Since then, reports from the Hamas-governed health ministry in Gaza suggest that over 42,000 Palestinians have lost their lives.
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2024-10-18 15:16