At the Young Filmmakers Festival in Ni’lin, social and cultural issues were raised in films made by young people. Films were screened to an audience of female and male youth, students, mothers, members of the local community and institutions.
In collaboration with the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society and Ruwwad for Development - Palestine, the Young Filmmakers Festival was curated by the Ni’lin Teacher Centre and Educational Research and Development Programme (ERDP) of the A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF). Organised on Saturday,15 April 2017, the festival brought together Directors Shahd al-Hindi and Samah al-Khawaja as well as 150 participants.
The audience discussed the issues, ideas and characters involved in the screened films. Discussions addressed the challenges Al-Hindi and Al-Khawaja faced in the process of footage and direction, the impact of direction experience on the directors’ perceptions, and the stories and journey of the films. The discussion was moderated by Dima Saqfalhait, Arts in Education Track Coordinator at the AMQF.
Films raised community issues that exist in the margin, but are also part and parcel of young people’s daily lives. The audience stressed the importance of the unconventional social themes highlighted in the film screenings. These were at odds with political issues raised in the media.
Rana Fares, a teacher at the Al-Sheikha Fatima Girls School, stated: “In general, films are more than wonderful because they shed light on topics that, albeit simple, cover a variety of aspects. These films addressed multiple themes. They offered me a legacy and a whole life. For us, films furnished an opportunity to look outside the box so that we try and see where they can take us.” Rana added: “These days, I encourage male and female students to make films. Every student has a potential. In the age of technology, everything is available for young people. These potentials can be steered to reflect a positive energy.”
Dima Saqfalhait explained: “The discussion we had today was interesting. The audience comprised a variety of age groups. Children’s reactions and questions were different from those made by university students. Hence, the discussion was rich and featured new dimensions. Generally speaking, the audience always expects that films provide answers to questions of life. In this case, however, discussion highlighted the importance that films raise, rather than answer, questions.”
These activities are in tandem with the Ni’lin Teacher Centre’s vision of networking, partnership and dialogue between various community groups and relevant institutions. In this context, the Young Filmmakers Festival contributes to reviving the cinema culture as well as the tracks of art and culture. It turns passive viewers into active agents who discuss, converse with, influence and are influenced by the cinematographic material with a view to recreating their films (stories), particularly in the dominant age of digitisation, widespread cinematography and declining cinema culture.
Isra’ Odeh, Board Chair of the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society, stated: “The language of the film has recently been the best tool of expression, communication and interaction. Therefore, the Young Palestinian Filmmakers Society offers opportunities to the Palestinian youth to learn filmmaking, allowing more space to express their opinions through the motion picture and filmmaking. The youth can, therefore, introduce humanitarian and social stories that simulate reality in which we live. We screen these films to the Palestinian audience and moderate discussions between filmmakers and audience to enrich the filmmaking experience. This was a special day. It was marked by the notable presence of the audience, organisers and discussion that ensued the film screening.”
The Ni’lin Teacher Centre looks forward to keeping the film screening and filmmaking development tracks. It intends to launch a cinema programme, which involves a group of teachers, students and interested people. The programme will develop the cinematographic reading, production and direction as well as disseminate filmmaking as a social culture and action.