Falastin Film Festival, Film

Childhood Under Occupation: A Collection of Short Films

Part of Falastin Film Festival

(Sat 25 May: 11am)

A collection of short films exploring the theme of children and childhood under occupation.

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Maradona’s Legs إجرين مارادونا (U) by Firas Khoury
During the 1990 World Cup, two young Palestinian boys are looking for “Maradona’s legs”; the last missing sticker that they need in order to complete their world cup album and win a free Atari.

Genre: Comedy, Sports, Short | Year of Release: 2019 | Original Language: Arabic | Subtitles: English | Content warning: strong language

Ayny عيني (12A) by Ahmad Saleh
Two young boys run away from their mother’s protection and slack line on the danger of war to play music with the instrument they always dreamt to have.

Genre: Stop-motion Animation, Short | Year of Release: 2016 | Original Language: Arabic | Subtitles: English | Content warning: harm by landmine, not suitable for children

The Present الهدية (PG) by Farah Nabulsi
On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints, how easy is it to go shopping?

Genre: Drama, Narrative, Short | Year of Release: 2020 | Original Languages: Arabic, English | Subtitles: English

Zoo حديقة الحیوان (12A) by Tariq Rimawi
Wandering through the Worst Zoo in the World, Sami is looking for his football. The lone boy finds more than that when he encounters the little tiger Laziz, who follows him on his quest to find a safe place to play.

Genre: Drama, Animation, Short | Year of Release: 2022 | Original Language: Arabic | Subtitles: English

Hide & Seek غُميضة by Rami Abbas
An animated short film narrating the story of a child and his fish on their journey into the unknown, following the raid on the child’s town during the ongoing war ravaging his country. The short film captures the steps of this journey and its transformations.

Genre: Animation, Drama | Year of Release: 2024 | Original Language: Silent

Uncle… Give Me A Cigarette عمي اعطيني سيجارة (12A) by Union of Palestinian Women's Committees and interns from Birzeit University
Awaiting a prison transfer, Walid receives a strange request in a mysterious whisper… Collaborating with a team of girls from the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees and interns from Birzeit University, the group transformed Walid Dakka's narrative into a short stop-motion film using wire armatures and paper mache.

Genre: Drama, Stop-motion Animation, Short | Year of Release: 2023 | Original Language: Arabic | Subtitles: English | Content warning: colonial and carceral violence, not suitable for children

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Falastin Film Festival (FFF) is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit collective of Palestinians and allies dedicated to bringing Palestinian art to Edinburgh and Highland audiences. Palestinians are often summed up as an ‘occupied people,’ and spoken for, though they have their own stories to tell. Using cinema as a tool of resistance the festival strives to decolonize the narrative and equip audiences with historical context. There is a desire to build community while celebrating Palestinian art and culture through cinema, music, cuisine, and other storytelling mediums. Scotland’s exposure to Palestinian society, art, culture, and humanity altogether remains rather limited. FFF hopes to fill this gap, using both classical and contemporary cinema primarily but not exclusively. They strive to highlight Palestinian steadfast resistance, cultural preservation, stories of love, and in the words of poet Rafeef Ziadah, teachings of life. In so doing, they offer a refreshing portrayal that encompasses the geographic, linguistic, and experiential diversity of the Palestinian people globally.

Visit their website falastinfilmfest.com or follow them on social media @falastinfilmfest.