Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival September 9 to September 13, 2024.
It is difficult to make a film under ordinary circumstances, but it is truly exceptional to create one in an active war zone. This showcase of shorts includes fiction, documentary, and experimental works from twenty-two filmmakers living in Gaza. Some of the directors were experienced professionals while others were creating a film for the first time. All were made with the assistance of the Masharawi Film Fund, which offers training and financial support to Palestinian filmmakers.
This collection contains a wide range of perspectives and creative approaches. We get to see up close the challenges of daily life – gathering water, struggling to charge a phone, and watching the sky for bombs. A number of films highlighted the experiences of children during wartime. The shorts that stood out to me were the documentaries about artists and their struggle to find a sense of purpose in extreme circumstances.
In “Sorry Cinema” director Ahmad Hassouna mourns the loss of his passion for filmmaking. His thoughtful narration reflects on how dramatically his life has changed in a short amount of time. Before the current conflict his life was completely focused on directing. Several clips from his fiction films and behind-the-scenes work are shown. These are in stark contrast to the ruins he searches through for firewood. He feels his creative spark is gone because his life is now consumed by survival. During a Q&A session after the screening, the project’s producer Rashid Masharawi told the story of how difficult it was to convince Hassouna to participate. Hassouna had mostly done fiction films and felt he could not make a short fiction film in such challenging conditions. But their discussions on filmmaking during wartime convinced Hassouna to create this poignant documentary.1
In “Soft Skin,” directed by Khamees Masharawi, art offers some reprieve to children. A group of young kids worked together to create stop animation scenes with paper to tell stories from their lives. They depict drones frequently flying overhead and bombings of their city. One young girl talks about how she washed off her name that her mother had inscribed on her arm and leg because it frightened her. This practice is widely done by parents to help identify their children’s bodies. Although these stories are heart-wrenching, the children still find brief moments of joy – they play together and seem happy to be working on an art project. An animation workshop can’t solve their most pressing basic needs, but it is at least a safe space where they can express their fears and thoughts.
Some artists are determined to continue their work no matter what. In Nidal Damo’s “Everything is Fine,” a local comedian goes to different encampments in the community to perform. It begins with him feeding a large group of cats. He goes through extraordinary lengths to get a shower, so that he can be presentable to his audiences. There is some dark humor about the absurdity of his situation, but overall this piece is still hopeful. These small gestures are difficult with little food and resources, but the comedian manages to be a lifeline to stray cats and bring laughter to his neighbors. In “No,” director Hana Awad searches for a story that will bring hope. Awad says she will not to tell another story of suffering or death, and that she refuses to give up her sense of optimism. In her search she finds a group of musicians who perform for communities and children. Scenes of the musicians laughing and singing with children are deeply moving in such dangerous circumstances. One of the musicians says she will not give into despair and will continue to say “no” to injustice and accepting the situation.
There is an absence of direct political messaging about the war in Gaza, but I would argue that these shorts can be just as powerful in helping advocate for a ceasefire. To create art in a war zone is an act of defiance and refusal to give up one’s humanity. Instead of hearing hateful rhetoric from opposing sides or staggering death statistics, we get a unique view into the lives of ordinary civilians told in their own voices. Too often Palestinians have been dehumanized and seen only in the context of a larger geopolitical conflict. These intimate stories illustrate that Palestinians are not radically different from anyone else. They have hopes, dreams, and families, and should have the right to safety and self-determination.
To learn more about all twenty-two films, you can visit https://www.masharawifilms.org/from-ground-zero/.
This Q&A session was after the 12 PM screening on Thursday September 12, 2024.