“Nazra film festival” at Cantieri alla Zisa in Palermo
Three days of short films with tastings, paying homage to Palestine. From Nov. 25-27 in Palermo, one can immerse oneself in the traditions and flavors of that culture, thanks to the fourth edition of the “Nazra film festival.”
The traveling and competitive film festival since 2017 has been held annually in Italy, with the aim of promoting the most representative short films of Palestinian culture to support the country’s cause, carried out in Palermo by the voluntary association ‘‘Voices in Silence.”
The initiative “Palestine Village, Beyond Checkpoints” will take place specifically at the Zisa Cultural Sites.
Each evening, starting at 7 p.m., there will be screenings of two short films, alternating with interviews and discussions with Palestinian filmmakers and artists via video link. All this, in the ”CRE.ZI PLUS” auditorium.
A ticket at a cost of 10 euros is required to attend each individual day. The ticket includes viewing of the two courts and a glass of Palestinian wine produced by “Cremisan“, a hillside located 5km from Bethlehem. In addition, for a small addition of 5 euros, it will be possible to add an apericena consisting of typical dishes from the Palestinian culinary tradition to your offer.
A great opportunity to immerse oneself through vision, sounds and tastes in a culture all to tell.
The schedule of screenings
Below is the program for the three evenings, released by Balarm.it . More info to participate, here.
Thursday, November 25
“Tearfs Of Roses”
Fatima al-Najjar, Lamiaa Abu Mustafa, emergency room workers, and Maryam Abu Daqqa, a journalist, head to the “Great March of Return” every Friday to protest along the Khan-Younis borders to treat injured protesters. Totally unarmed women targeted by Israeli army snipers. They lost their husbands, brothers, loved ones. Despite what they have suffered, they do not give up and persist in moving forward with their lives.
“A Play Before The Bombs.”
Set primarily in Gaza’s al-Mishal Cultural Center (before it was destroyed on August 9, 2018), it is a story that takes place over a four-year time span. The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative activities of Abeer Ahmed, a young woman who grew up in the Jabaliya refugee camp, during the time she and the other cast members are preparing to stage a play centered on a Palestinian woman’s right to an inheritance.
Friday, November 26
“Maradona’s Leg”
Set during the 1990 World Cup. Rafat and Fadel, two young Palestinian brothers and fans of the Brazilian team, are desperately searching for “Maradona’s legs,” the last missing sticker to complete the World Cup album and win a major prize. The story takes place during the first intifada, and the road to finding “Maradona’s legs” is paved with self-discovery, identity and nationality.
“Another Point Of View”
Fadel and Najeeba are brother and sister and live in a Palestinian town. Their relationship is extraordinary. Fadel has a “mental disorder,” and Najeeba perceives reality in her own way, not in response to her brother’s case rather because life, as she sees it, is much simpler than it seems, simple enough that it does not matter what the people of the town think of her and her brother.
Saturday, November 27
“HAJEZ”
After a Palestinian family prepares to go to the theme park on the second day of the Eid holiday, an Israeli checkpoint (“hajez” in Arabic) prevents them from getting there. Others wait until they can cross the checkpoint and, while waiting, improvise singing and dancing under the gaze of the Israeli military. Based on actual events.
“The Present”
Yusef (played by Saleh Bakri), on his day off, goes out with his little girl Yasmin (played beautifully by Mariam Kanj) to buy his wife a new refrigerator as a gift. In crossing the checkpoint, they are stopped by the Israeli military, the father is detained and made to enter a cage and left in a long wait; never mind that they have parents in front of them who are worried about not scaring their children; there is tension, the prevarication of the occupiers is arrogant and deliberately humiliating.