Programme 

The Last Days of April
dirs. Laurence Buelens & Jean Forest, Belgium 2021, 24 min., Arabic with English subtitles

In April 1949, after a string of battles and massacres, the Israeli army reaches the gates of the 5,000-year-old Palestinian village of Battir, on the outskirts of Jerusalem – and a handful of villagers use candles, sticks and other forms of trickery to protect their homes from the fate of their neighbours. Based on the testimonials of village elders, Laurence Buelens and Jean Forest’s short documentary mixes video, animated stills and an ambient soundscape to pay tribute to their ingenious resistance.

Ours Is a Country of Words
dir. Mathijs Poppe, Belgium 2017, 43 min., Arabic with English subtitles

Mathijs Poppe’s film begins at an undetermined moment in the future when the Palestinian right of return becomes a reality, and families in the Shatila refugee camp begin to prepare for their return. What should they pack – and who will they miss? Blending fiction and documentary, dreams and reality, Ours Is a Country of Words allows us to develop a deeper understanding of what it means to live in exile. 

This session will be followed by a conversation with Mathijs Poppe, director of Ours is a Country of Words and Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Jarman Award-winning documentary maker. Hanan Hindawi, a member of the cast, will also be present for this in-person event.