From Ground Zero + I

FROM GAZA TO OSCAR / GAZA TO OSCAR

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

COLORS UNDER THE SKY / COLOURS UNDER THE SKY

*With the participation of the film crew

Arabic; Turkish and English Subtitles

From Gaza to the Oscars

Gaza to Oscar

Director/Director

Alaa Damo

DCP / Renkli Color / 24’

Arapça; Türkçe ve İngilizce Altyazılı 

Arabic with Turkish And English Subtitles

Filmmakers in Gaza are risking their lives to document life under siege, turning their cameras into instruments of survival, testimony and resistance, and hoping that one day their stories will appear on the world's biggest stages and that their people will be remembered in their own words. Alaa Damo, whose From Ground Zero, which we screened at last year's festival, conveys the excitement of Palestine's Oscar nomination, tries to exist in the midst of bombardment and destruction, in the reality he both lives and records. Amidst his search for bread, water and shelter, the voice of a people echoes in his images that reach the world: "You can occupy the country, but not the cinema." Gaza to Oscar is a story of resistance by filmmakers who say, "The whole world will know our stories," and who continue their passion to tell them even under impossible conditions.

Filmmakers in Gaza risk their lives to document life under siege, turning their cameras into tools of survival, testimony, and resistance. They hold on to the hope that these stories will one day stand on the world's biggest stages, allowing their people to be remembered in their own words. Alaa Damo, who shares his excitement about Palestine's Oscar nomination for the program "From Point Zero" that we screened at the festival last year, struggles to exist within the very reality he films, amid the bombardment and destruction. Between the search for bread, water, and shelter, the images he sends to the world echo the voice of an entire people: "You can occupy a country, but you cannot occupy cinema." Gaza to Oscar is the story of filmmakers who, against all odds, continue their passion for storytelling - a testament to resistance and the enduring power of art.

Gaza Clown

The Clown of Gaza

Director/Director

Abdulrahman Sabbah

DCP / Renkli Color / 61’

Arabic; Turkish and English Subtitles

The Clown of Gaza is a portrait of the beloved actress Alaa Meqdad. The bombing of Gaza City, where he once lived with his parents, sisters, wife and children, forces him and his family to live in a tent... With extraordinary optimism, he embraces the present life and tries to make it more pleasant for others. Together with his partner, he takes on the role of Aloosh the Clown for children in hospitals and on the streets. Their jokes, songs and boundless energy make the terrible reality disappear for a moment. Alaa and his family are the lens through which Palestinian filmmaker Abdulrahman Sabbah shows how people in Gaza cope with the daily horrors of war. They vacillate between the hope for a ceasefire and the threat of total genocide. When, during filming, news comes that the roads to Gaza have reopened, their efforts to return to their homes - or what's left of them - are revealed. Sabbah's first feature-length documentary celebrates humanity, love and resilience in dark times.

The Clown of Gaza is a portrait of the greatly beloved performer Alaa Meqdad. The bombings of Gaza City-where he once lived with his parents, sisters, wife, and children-have forced him and his family into a tent camp. With extraordinary optimism, he embraces life in there and now, and tries to make it more enjoyable for others. Together with his partner, he performs as Aloosh the Clown for children in hospitals and on the streets. Their jokes, songs, and boundless energy make the horrific reality momentarily disappear. Alaa and his family are the lens through which Palestinian filmmaker Abdulrahman Sabbah shows how people in Gaza cope with the daily horrors of war. Tossed to and fro between hope for a ceasefire and the threat of total genocide, they endure the loss of their loved ones and their homes. A return to their home-or what remains of it-comes into view when news arrives during filming that the roads to Gaza City have been reopened. Sabbah's first feature-length documentary is a celebration of humanity, love, and resilience in pitch-dark times.

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Colors Under the Sky

Colors Under the Sky

Director/Director

Reema Mahmoud

DCP / Renkli Color / 20’

Arabic; Turkish and English Subtitles

While Amal Abu Al Soboh covers several walls in the refugee camp in southern Gaza with her paintings as a form of silent resistance, 22-year-old singer Aya Tourk sings passionately and sums up the devastating impact of the war on the future of young Gazans: "We left our dreams and hopes behind. I left behind my destroyed house, my family, my friends, my colleagues and my university. (...) Before October 7... My degree ceremony was planned for October. My trip was also in October. If not for October 7th, my life would have changed 180 degrees. I was invited to a big festival in Algeria and Spain. For the first time in my life, I was finally going to present my work to the outside world. When I used to watch the sky in Gaza, I used to think: The stars are magnificent. The landscape is magnificent. Now when I look at the sky I only see rockets falling, I hear screams, people shouting. I no longer see myself as a distant star in the sky, I only see rockets and drones that have replaced the stars in this world".

Amal Abu Al Soboh paints the few walls in the refugee camp in Southern Gaza as a from of silent resistance while 22 year old singer Aya Tourk summarizes the devastating effect of war on the future of Gazan youth besides singing with passion: "We left behind our dreams, hopes. I left behind my destroyed house, my family members. My friends, my colleagues and my university. (...) Before October 7, my diploma ceremony was planned in October. My trip was also in October. My life was supposed to change 180 degrees without 7th October. I was invited to a large festival in Algeria and in Spain. For the first time in my life I was finally going to make my work known to the outside world. I had a thought when I was contemplating the sky in Gaza. The stars were beautiful. The view was magnificent. But when I contemplate the sky, I only see rockets falling. I hear screams, people are shouting. I no longer see myself as a distant star in the sky. Only rockets and drones that have replaced the stars of this world".