As the latest site of a film festival entirely dedicated to films made in and about Palestine, the upcoming Palestine Film Festival in Ann Arbor is testament to the growing visibility of, and demand for, the Palestinian narrative in the cinematic form.
Palestine film festivals take place annually in Chicago, Houston, Boston, London, Santa Cruz, CA, Toronto, and in many other places around the world. These events sprouted organically and gather large audiences.
Ann Arbor’s is slated to start on March 11 at the historic Michigan Theater (I worked there in college, wore a tuxedo behind the refreshments stand and change the letters on the marquee while being harassed by drunks). The theater is near the campus of the University of Michigan.
The festival “brings together all genres of film to celebrate and commemorate Palestine,” according to advertisements promoting the four day-long event. Some of the films will also be shown on UM’s campus, which has become more politically active the past few years.
Hena Ashraf, the founder and co-director of the festival, wanted to organize an alternative to “mainstream media and movies,” in which “Palestinians are always shown in a negative light.”
For Ashraf, setting up an event for “media made by Palestinians or those in solidarity with Palestine” was the best way to let Palestinians have a voice in this country, to speak for themselves. This chance to see and hear Palestinians represent themselves is probably what has made the other festivals so attractive.
For audiences looking for Hollywood-type films with mega-budgets, stars and substance-free plots, the festival may disappoint them. The selection is chosen from an array of fiction and non-fiction genres, many of which do not show at the local multiplex theaters. Some of the pieces in the festival are documentaries, shorts, and experimental.
Ashraf argues that for voices, such as those of the Palestinians and other misrepresented peoples, to be heard, “the broader independent media movement must grow.”
For being a small festival, it lined up some notable premieres, such as “Salt of this Sea.” This opening night film by the Palestinian artist Annemarie Jacir was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, and the official Palestinian entry for the Academy Awards. This film was not her first to show at the Cannes International Film Festival. Jacir has already won numerous awards, was selected for the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, and recognized by Filmmaker Magazine as one of the “25 new faces of independent filmmaking.”
“Salt” marks the acting debut of Palestinian-American Def Jam poet Suheir Hammad, another young, dynamic artist. Her background in spoken word and hip-hop, inherently performative formats, translates to a memorable on-screen presence.
One of the other most talked about Palestinian films is “Slingshot Hip Hop,” the documentary about Palestinian hip-hop artists who embody the artistry of resistance, whether they intend to or not. As the product of Michigan native Jackie Salloum, it was shown at the highly selective Sundance film festival. It is slated for closing night.
Other films include, “Make A Wish,” “Driving to Zigzigland,” and “Our Kuffiyyah in London,” among others.
The festival is the culmination of months of hard work by young activists and cinema fans. It gained support from the local Arab American community through a fundraiser at the Arab American National Museum in late January. Sponsors include several UM departments and offices, as well as Arab Detroit, a website for the Arab American community in Detroit.
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- The Bubble, a Film by Eytan Fox
- Palestine: Peace not Apartheid book tour coming to a theater near you
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