Cinematheque@TheLab
Gaza: Summer of 2021
Screening of short films

Wednesday 14 February 2024 | 6:30 PM | The Lab

Gaza: Summer of 2021 is a series of short films that were shot and produced in Gaza as part of a filmmaking workshop facilitated by director Asma Bseiso. The films center around 4 residents of Gaza, their dreams, and the reality and challenges of their daily lives, including: a young Oud player, child selling mint leaves on the streets of Gaza, community activist in recycling reclaiming her right to the sea, and the founder of an initiative that is saving stray animals.

Films:
- Dissonant
- The Smile of Khamees
- Who Owns the Sea?
- Sulala

Filmmakers: Aseel Alwayeh, Mariam Barakat, Youssef Abu Amireh, Mohammed Al Massry, Taleen Zaqout, Ahmed Abu Shmaleh, Yara Ayoub, Aya Ashour, and Mohammed Al Shawa.

The films are in Arabic with English subtitles. The screening is followed by a discussion with director Asma Bseiso.

Asma Bseiso is an award-winning filmmaker, media consultant and trainer who lives and works between Amman and Gaza. In 2008, Asma was selected to join the Documentary Filmmaking Fellowship Program at George Washington University. She also participated in an advanced filmmaking training program by the University of Southern California in collaboration with the Royal Film Commission of Jordan. In 2009, Asma directed a film titled I Am Gaza which was shot during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in 2008. In 2013, she obtained a Higher Diploma in Film and Television Directing from the Film Institute of Madrid. In 2016, Asma released her film Still Alive which was screened in many festivals and won several awards. She has worked with many TV stations, including Al Jazeera, Al Arabi, MBC, France 24, ARTE, and PBS. She also worked on several projects by a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, the German Agency for International Cooperation, and others. Asmaa recently completed a documentary titled “Seven Waves” which was filmed in Gaza in 2021.

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