As I sit here, immersed in the captivating tale spun by Rashid Masharawi, I find myself deeply moved by his resilience and unwavering passion for cinema. Born in Gaza in 1962, where his first memory was a war, he navigated through life with checkpoints as part of the landscape. Yet, despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, Masharawi’s spirit remains undeterred.
The Palestinian filmmaker, Rashid Masharawi, kicks off the Cairo Film Festival by unveiling his latest production, “Passing Dreams,” an unexpected genre in the world of cinema – a Palestinian road trip film.
The movie narrates the tale of Sami, a 12-year-old residing within a refugee camp in the West Bank. His father is imprisoned and their homing pigeon has vanished, prompting Sami to embark on a journey to Bethlehem to seek assistance from his uncle in locating the missing bird.
Despite candidly portraying life under occupation, the film maintains a sense of optimism. This sentiment is echoed by Masharawi as he speaks with EbMaster on the eve of the festival: “When there’s no hope, cinema should create it to share with people and inspire belief in it. This too is part of our resistance. Despite decades of occupation, we still hold onto hope because we cherish tomorrow.
Filming on-site in West Bank locations such as Bethlehem, the old city of Jerusalem, and Haifa proved to be a formidable task, not unexpectedly: “For Palestinian filmmakers, crafting a work of fiction is no easy feat. Everything must be strategized in advance due to factors like lighting, actors, and external contributors. We often have multiple backup plans ready. More often than not, we find ourselves executing plan B or C.
Transferring our team members and equipment between shooting locations proved challenging due to logistical complexities. Each individual required unique permits for travel, and we were operating without formal authorization from Israeli authorities. The atmosphere on set was unpredictable as numerous incidents occurred throughout filming.
The events unfolding were centered around the conflict in Gaza, a place where the individual you’re referring to was born. His family, originally from Jaffa, had to leave due to these circumstances. This is how the person describes their early life: “I was born in Gaza in 1962. My earliest memory is of a war. I grew up navigating checkpoints, which became an integral part of my surroundings. To reach Bethlehem, I needed to pass through three checkpoints, a journey that took about an hour.
The use of real locations though was vital, primarily for the Palestinian audience. “They know these places; what road they would have to take and the checkpoints. I don’t want to make shots like postcards. I want to be practical, going from A to B and showing a landscape. I was between showing the beauty but not exploring it like a tourist, even though I was in Bethlehem, one of the most important tourist sites in the world. Our characters just pass by because they’re on their way somewhere else.”
Despite Masharawi’s profound connection to Gaza, which led him to create “From Ground Zero,” a collection of shorts filmed amidst the ongoing conflict earlier this year, he emphasizes his identity as a filmmaker above all else. As a filmmaker whose works have been screened at prestigious festivals like Venice and Cannes, he is thrilled about premiering in Cairo, but for the sake of his films, not politics. “I don’t seek sympathy due to the political scenario; I want everyone to engage with us as filmmakers. Before being an Arab, a Palestinian, or from Gaza, I am passionate about cinema.
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2024-11-13 15:47