Letters of Resistance

The Sursock Museum in collaboration with Festival Ciné-Palestine and Cinema al Fouad present a series of films in the framework of the second edition of the Queer Cinema for Palestine Festival. The screening consists of films and videos by Omar Gabriel, Sirine Fattouh, Sharon Hakim, and Bashar Mourad. 

The program Letters of Resistance presents videos that are in themselves ways to navigate the tremendous societal pressure on queer individuals from Arabic-speaking countries. Using music, irony, and intergenerational dialogues, these videos narrate a story of queer love, creativity, and resistance. As Soha Becharra phrases it in Omar Gabriel's film, whether for gender and sexuality rights or against colonial occupation, struggles of liberation are interconnected, "My fight for the liberation is a stage of the open battle of life with and against society and the state. My journey with Juan has become a part of this battle." 

La Grande Nuit
Dir. Sharon Hakim, 2020
23’39", France
In French with English subtitles 

Esma is a young cabaret dancer of Algerian origin in search of freedom. Hantirah, a young Syrian doctor who is destined for a future mapped out by his parents, is torn between his love for her and his commitment to his fiancée, a medical student like him. On Eid day, between the streets of Barbès and the queer cabaret where Aragoz, Hantirah's best Egyptian friend, performs, we discover a modern youth of various Arab origins.

Maskhara
Dir. Bashar Murad, 2020
3'29", Palestine
In Arabic with English subtitles 

Maskhara is a satirical Arabic Pop song encapsulating the combined struggles of living under occupation, fighting patriarchy, and going through the pandemic. Fusing various musical styles, from disco to '80s nostalgia and Caribbean rhythms, the track stands as a window into counter-culture, ushering positivity into year-end and conveying hidden messages through images and symbols.

Ilkul 3am Bitjawaz
Dir. Bashar Murad, 2018
3'24", Palestine
In Arabic with English subtitles 

Ilkul 3am Bitjawaz (Everyone is Getting Married) is Bashar Murad’s debut in the realm of Arab Pop. Through both song and video, Murad employs satire to lampoon the relentless societal expectations surrounding marriage, particularly the notion that reaching 30 without a partner is a failure. In the self-directed visuals, Bashar takes audacious steps by challenging conventional gender roles. 

A Letter to Myself: Soha Bechara
Dir. Omar Gabriel, 2022
10', Switzerland
In Arabic with English subtitles 

In a letter to herself, Soha Bechara, a Lebanese figure of the resistance to the Israeli occupation expresses her worries about her son Juan, who recently confessed to her that he was a boy in a girl's body. Soha reflects on her child's struggle and what it would mean for him if they had not left Lebanon to live in Switzerland.

From Algiers to Beirut:A Video Correspondence by Sirine Fattouh and Leïla Saadna
Dir. Sirine Fattouh, 2021, 2022
26', Lebanon/France
In Arabic and French with English subtitles

From Algiers to Beirut is a video installation consisting of several short videos working as a back-and-forth correspondence between Sirine Fattouh and Leïla Saadna. In this dialogue, the two artists explore the complex and fraught relationship with their respective countries, how it has impacted the choices they have made in the past, and how it has framed their identities. 

Queer Cinema for Palestine (QCP) is a collectively-curated 10-day global film festival celebrating queer realities and standing in solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom, justice, and dignity.

Sharon Hakim is a French-Egyptian screenwriter and director. She holds a BA in literature and studied economic and political philosophy at the American University in Paris. In 2015, she pursued directing studies at the New School in New York City.
 
Bashar Murad is a Palestinian Pop artist, singer/songwriter, and filmmaker who produces globally influenced pop music rooted in the Palestinian spirit. His music challenges stereotypes and highlights social issues facing Palestinian youth that are seldom addressed in Palestine, including living under occupation, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Omar Gabriel is a Lebanese photographer and filmmaker. His work documents the beauty and complexity of human relationships, from the subtleties of love and societal pressures to the courage to break free from conventions. Gabriel holds a Master's in cinema from the Institute of Audiovisual Scenic Studies (IESAV).

Sirine Fattouh is a Lebanese artist and researcher living between Paris and Beirut. Interested in histories from below, her practice consists of examining the consequences of violence and displacements on people’s identities. Fattouh holds a PhD in Visual Arts and Aesthetics from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne. 

This event is free of charge but has limited capacity. Please book your spot here.