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All in Film
Hamza Ali Co-Founded Watermelon Pictures with his brother Badie Ali as a subsidiary label under MPI Media which their father and uncle founded in 1976 to amplify marginalized voices with a focus on Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. The brothers then launched Watermelon +, a streaming service, on May 8th and is available to subscribers worldwide.
Farah Nabulsi’s debut feature film delves into the ugly realities Palestinians are subjected to. Life in Palestine seems so simple from afar, yet she redirects her audience’s attention to the complexities in these communities, taking viewers on a rollercoaster of emotions from grief to love, which embody Palestinian resilience in everyday characters like a teacher and his students.
Palestine in America’s Editor in Chief and our Film Editor Guest Editor give our readers their recommendations on what Palestinian films to watch.
Ghunim is currently accepting requests for film festivals to screen her most recent and highly anticipated work, Traces of Home, a documentary about her family that “explores migration, trauma and identity through an intimate family journey.” After years in the making, the film is expected to be completed by fall 2023.
While I am not Palestinian, as a Puerto Rican, I can empathize with the feeling of knowing my family's homeland has fallen victim to Western imperialism. Puerto Rico has not known independence since Columbus landed on our shores in 1493. At one point in history, the American government outlawed the very presence of our flag, the symbol of our pride. Because of this, the resiliency of the Palestinian people has always resonated with me, and I am absolutely positive that the story of Farha will resonate with you too.
Nehad Khader, director and managing editor of Blackstar Film Festival, decided to pursue her dream more than a decade ago when she was invited to curate the DC Palestinian FIlm Fest in 2010.
Not long after Nizar Wattad earned his Masters in screenwriting from USC in 2006, he was recruited by Walt Disney Pictures to write The United, the first Arabic-language film produced by a major studio. He was also head writer and lead producer of “Aya and Yusef,” an animated series for Muslim children.
Rolla Selbak is a self-taught filmmaker known for featuring strong female characters in her work. Selback has come a long way since the humble days of her first film, which was shot by a crew she hired from Craigslist.
Writer and director Reem Jubran is best known for her short film Mariam, which tells the story of a young Arab American drag queen who has to confront their father and grandparents about their identity.
Jubran joined the podcast to discuss her dream cast, why she became a film maker and what she hopes to accomplish.
Cherien Dabis broke into the entertainment industry with the film Amreeka, which she wrote and directed in 2009–and she hasn't looked back. Most recently, the Palestinian-American actress and director is known for directing episodes of popular television shows “Ozark,”“Ramy” and Emmy-award winning “Only Murders in the Building.”
Through this edition, I have offered you readers a mere glimpse into the rich world that is Palestinian film–there are so many artists, producers, curators, editors, and more that I would love to share with you, but we only had so much space and time. That said, I am thrilled to be able to offer you a piece of my teachers and peer practitioners who are rebuilding the Palestinian image archive.
Palestine in America is finalizing our first Film Edition. Ryah Aqel (she/her), cultural producer, writer, and multimedia artist, will use her expertise to be our guest editor.
In 2020, she produced Darine Hotait and Hala Alyan's TALLAHASSEE, distributed by The New Yorker. She was previously a Sundance Institute Knight Foundation fellow and a Sundance Institute Women in Film Finance & Strategy Intensive fellow.
