WASHINGTON 鈥� Through oral storytelling and other live performances, this annual D.C. film and arts festival pushes beyond the screen to immerse audiences in varied and complex perspectives.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 something with the festivals: We鈥檙e always trying to push a different boundary. What鈥檚 an art form we haven鈥檛 shown before?鈥� said Michael Kamel, curator of the , which runs Thursday, Oct. 5 to Sunday, Oct. 8.
Last year, the festival , which virtually connected creatives in Gaza to their counterparts in D.C., resulting in boundary-breaking live jam sessions and cross-cultural conversations. This year, local Palestinian storytellers and a dance performance bring these highly personal anecdotes to life.
The program also features Palestinian-American filmmaker and TV producer . Dabis has worked on TV shows 鈥淭he L Word,鈥� 鈥淓mpire鈥� and 鈥淨uantico,鈥� and her 2009 film 鈥淎mreeka,鈥� which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, will also be screened.
鈥淲e want to create a space to showcase Palestinian artists 鈥� really spotlighting the range and complexity of Palestinian identities and narratives,鈥� said Nusayba Hammad, the festival鈥檚 managing director.
She added, 鈥淲e do go beyond film.鈥�
The festival, which is in its seventh year, was founded by three women who 鈥渨ere brought together by a shared love of Palestine, and the arts, and the desire to create a space for Palestinian artists to create and show their work outside of the box of a politicized identity,鈥� Hammad said.
鈥淥ur festival really emphasizes Palestinian subjectivity: letting Palestinians speak for themselves and tell their stories and let their voices be heard,鈥� Kamel added.
Along with diverse stories, the festival also attracts a diverse audience, Hammad said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e always seeing new people come to the festival, which is great. We have everybody, from people who have supported us since 2011, to people who walk in off the street because they see our signs and are like, 鈥榃ow, this is cool. I want to come.鈥欌��
鈥淲e鈥檙e really trying to become a solid part of the D.C. arts community,鈥� she said.
There鈥檚 no need to study up on Palestine beforehand, Hammad assured. 鈥淏ecause we鈥檙e not a film festival about Palestine, you don鈥檛 need to come in with any background knowledge of the politics or history or anything like that.鈥�
She added, 鈥淔or instance, if there is something that deals very specifically with Palestine, we usually try to contextualize it and give some background in the form of panel discussions afterward, either by the filmmakers or experts.鈥�
The festival鈥檚 overarching themes for this year explore trauma and memory in some way. From the opening film 鈥淕host Hunting鈥� to a closing performance of dabke, a traditional folk dance, this year鈥檚 themes are woven throughout the festival in creative ways.
鈥淚 think that art and film and creating is a form of resistance in itself often, because if you鈥檙e a Palestinian and you鈥檙e creating a film, or you鈥檙e creating art, or anything at all 鈥� even if that has nothing to do with Palestine, it鈥檚 a testament to your humanity and your right to live and thrive,鈥� Hammad said.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 what we really try to get across with the festival.鈥�
So, for those interested in attending the festival, Kamel has this piece of advice: 鈥淕o in with an open mind.鈥�
He hopes people can 鈥渨alk away with a different perspective,鈥� adding, 鈥淚t can be very emotional. But it鈥檚 important to hear Palestinian voices.鈥�
Here鈥檚 how the D.C. Palestinian Film and Arts Festival runs this year:
The opening film, 鈥淕host Hunting鈥� (2017), dropped into Kamel鈥檚 radar even before festival submissions opened.
鈥淚 had heard about 鈥楪host Hunting鈥� back in February when it premiered at Berlinale [Berlin International Film Festival] and I thought it seemed like a really interesting film with a unique take on the issue of political prisoners and what it means to approach this subject. It was a really powerful film. We thought it raised a lot of intrigue and questions,鈥� he said.
鈥淕host Hunting鈥� follows a re-enactment by former Palestinian prisoners of their time in an Israeli detention center. The film won the main documentary prize at the Berlin International Film Festival.
鈥淲e felt that it gave agency to the political prisoners by having them recreate their traumas and kind of tell the world, 鈥楾his is how it was for me, even though I was blindfolded half the time.鈥� I think there鈥檚 a sense of power in that, and agency,鈥� Kamel said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely heavy, but we think it鈥檚 a necessary conversation and it鈥檚 a necessary film,鈥� Kamel added.
鈥淕host Hunting鈥� . A discussion on political prisoners follows the showing.
The rest of the festival鈥檚 screenings and performances will take place in D.C.鈥檚 Logan Circle neighborhood at Studio Theatre.
There, 鈥淧alestinians, Live!鈥� takes the stage in partnership with . The live storytelling event is something Hammad is looking forward to, and although she wouldn鈥檛 reveal the personal stories being told, she said, 鈥淧eople are gonna laugh, cry, cringe.鈥�
鈥淭he art of storytelling is very special to the Palestinian people. It鈥檚 a way to preserve our culture and our heritage,鈥� Hammad added.
The performance starts 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7
The third day is filled with screenings and is blocked in three parts: Trauma in Time, which looks at displacement and memory, Framing Palestine, and the Spotlight Artist.
from on .
The day starts with The U.S. premiere of 鈥淐offee for All Nations鈥� tracks the story of one Palestinian man鈥檚 quest to reclaim land that his family had been forced off by the Israeli army and opens a coffee shop. The accompanying short films include 鈥淵our Father was Born 100 Years Old, and So Was the Nakba鈥� and 鈥淕aza: A Gaping Wound.鈥�
explores how Palestinians are produced on and off screen: feature film 鈥淥ff Frame AKA Revolution Until Victory鈥� (2016) is a historical look at Palestinian filmmaking, short film 鈥淩eporter Suspended鈥� follows the story of an aspiring reporter who is 12 years old, and short film 鈥淰illagers鈥� centers a story along the separation wall.
Ending the day is Spotlight Artist Cherien Dabis, a Hollywood veteran, and a screening of her earlier work, Her talk
鈥淪he鈥檚 going to be talking about navigating different identities in Hollywood,鈥� Hammad said. As a Palestinian-American woman in a male-dominated industry, Hammad called her a 鈥渢railblazer in so many ways.鈥�
Kamel also couldn鈥檛 wait for Dabis鈥� appearance. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a critical perspective. I think for Palestinian artists and other artists of color, sometimes it鈥檚 hard for us to imagine ourselves in those mainstream areas, if that鈥檚 what we want to go on.鈥�
鈥淪o just being able to talk to somebody and hear from her, what her experiences are, and how she does both the mainstream and the independent, I think that that鈥檚 going to be a really great program, talk,鈥� he added.
Sunday, Oct. 8
鈥漃eople are really going to learn about Palestinian music,鈥� Kamel said about Sunday鈥檚 events, grouped under the heading
The feature, 鈥淎 Magical Substance Flows Into Me,鈥� and short films 鈥淔rom Beneath the Earth鈥� and 鈥淭he Embroidery,鈥� look at music production in Palestine, past and present.
from on .
Hammad buzzed with excitement about Sunday鈥檚 program because of her interest in Palestine鈥檚 independent music scene showcased in the world premiere of 鈥淔rom Beneath the Earth,鈥� saying, 鈥淭hat film really highlights Palestinian creativity, ingenuity and talent, and it doesn鈥檛 shy away from the political.鈥�
The festival closes with a dance performance and experimental film screening from , a Chicago-based pair that Hammad said.
And Kamel added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be a fun day.鈥�
Tickets are $12 for regular admission and $10 for students/seniors. Festival passes are $75. For more information on ticketing, visit .听
