Ignored by media headlines and marginalized by the political discourse, Palestinian culture finds a receptive audience with the Boston Palestine Film Festival.
The Boston Palestinian Film Festival (BPFF) kicked off its third annual showcasing of Palestinian film, art, and culture this weekend with events at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston institutions, and at our very own Boston College. On Monday, the fine arts department and the Islamic Civilization and Societes Program hosted director Najwa Najjar and a screening of her film Pomegrantes & Myrrh, marking the University's third year of involvement with the Festival. BPFF will return to campus on Friday, Oct. 30, with a screening of the documentary film This Palestine Life as part of the Festival's Spotlight on Gaza program.
Pamela Berger of the fine arts department, who first worked to bring the BPFF to Boston College in 2007, told The Heights that she feels these screenings - many of which are accompanied by the films' directors or producers - provide an invaluable opporunity to meet and speak with working filmmakers. More importantly, Berger believes that "Palesinian films should be seen as much as any other films."
Visit www.bostonpalestinefilmfest.org for a full list of films, schedules, and ticket information.
City of Borders
Thursday, Oct. 22 at the Museum of Fine Arts, 7 p.m.
Documentary Short
City of Borders reveals a side of Israeli-Palestinian relations little known to Western audiences: relations among Israelis and Palestinians in the gay community of Jerusalem. The film highlights the commonality of its protagonists against a backdrop of physical, national, and religious conflict and separation.
American Radical: the Trials of Norman Finkelstein
Friday, Oct. 23 at the Museum of Fine Arts, 8:30 p.m.
Feature Documentary
Documentary filmmakers David Ridgen and Nicolas Rossier delve into the heated waters surrounding American academic and activist Norman Finkelstein, a vocal critic of Israel and United States policy in the Middle East. Some call him a "lunatic and self-hating Jew," others an "inspirational revolutionary," and this documentary gives voice to Finkelstein's critics, his supporters, and his own message.
Directors will be present.
Youth Visions of Jerusalem: Short Films and Photography by Palestinian Youth
Monday, Oct. 26 at Harvard Law School, 7 p.m.
Narrative Shorts
Youth Visions of Jerusalem provides Palestinian children the opportunity to learn digital video, photography, and storytelling as a means of expressing both personal narratives and cultural identities in Jerusalem, the Arab cultural capital in 2009. This screening features five short films conceived and produced by Palestinian youth under the aegis of Voices Beyond Walls.
This Palestinian Life
Friday, Oct. 30 at Boston College in Devlin 008, 3 p.m.
Documentary Short
Boston College will host director Philip Rizk and this documentary, which gives Palestinian villagers from both Gaza and the West Bank a platform for recounting their experiences of nonviolent, and steadfast, resistance. Part of the festival's "Gaza in Focus" initiative.
Director will be present.
Curfew
Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Museum of Fine Arts, 2:30 p.m.
Feature Narrative
Originally released in 1994, Curfew scrutinizes the effects of restricted movements on the livelihood of one family in Gaza. Set before the Oslo Accords, director Rashid Masharawi - himself born in Gaza to refugee parents - explores the social psyche of a society living in a state of constant constraint. Part of a Rashid Masharawi retrospective.
Director will be present.
Laila's Birthday
Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Museum of Fine Arts, 5 p.m.
Feature Narrative
Rashid Masharawi is presenting his latest feature, which uses comedy as a way of revealing the many absurdities of contemporary Palestinian life in the occupied territories. The film follows a colorful cast of characters, all customers in Abu Laila's taxi, through the gauntlet of never-ending checkpoints and barriers. Conclusion of the Rashid Masharawi retrospective.
Director will be present.
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