“Falastin Film Festival Scotland brings Palestinian cinema, culture, and art to Scotland, raising awareness of Zionist colonization. We strive to highlight Palestinian resistance, cultural pride, stories of love, and, in the words of poet Rafeef Ziadah, teachings of life.”
This years Falastin Festival is a packed programme of film, talks and music over multiple venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh in May. The festival began life last year as a grassroots event aiming to celebrate and amplify the voices of Palestinian filmmakers in reaction to the war. But it has morphed and blossomed into a deeper form of cultural resistance. Now the festival team aim “to highlight not only stories of steadfast resistance and cultural preservation but also tales of love and hope”.
Join us for a screening of Ghost Hunting followed by a conversation with Assistant Director Wadee Hanani. In Ghost Hunting, Director Raed Andoni explores the haunting impact of torture, where former inmates of the Moskobiya interrogation centre in Jerusalem re-enact their traumatic experiences in a replica of the prison. This powerful documentary dives deep into the effects of repression and trauma.
Scottish Storytellinge Centre Theatre | Friday 16 May | 15:00
A tribute to a Gaza that no longer exists, this programme urges us to ask ourselves: what is our responsibility to Gaza? Join us for a powerful programme on Gaza feauturing two screenings followed by a conversation with director Mary Jirmanus Saba.
Screenings include Mehdi Amel (2024) by @mmjz & Life is Beautiful (2014) by @jabalymohamed.
The organisers say: “We share this programme to remember those we lost & honour the thousands of martyrs, including Rushdi Al-Sarraj & Yasser Murtaja, journalists and founders of Ain Media, killed in Gaza by the Zionist occupation forces in 2018 and 2023 — both featured in the first screening of this programme, Mehdi Amel.”
Join us for a screening of 120Km (2023) followed by a conversation with Director @waseemkhair. The documentary follows two Palestinian artists on a tour through Lebanon’s refugee camps — a journey of connection, defiance, and consequence. Their short trip leads to 20 months in Israeli prison.
The Falastin Film Festival takes place at the CCA, Glasgow, 9-10 May; and at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, 15-19 May. The organisers are attempting to use the film festival form as a tool of resistance, and throughout the festival they say they “will be striving to decolonise the narrative around Palestine and equip audiences with the country’s historical context”.
We don’t take any advertising, we don’t hide behind a pay wall and we don’t keep harassing you for crowd-funding. We’re entirely dependent on our readers to support us.
Don’t miss a single article. Enter your email address on our subscribe page by clicking the button below. It is completely free and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.
Such an impressive programme!