The Bride and the Dowry and Other Shorts

15

The Bride and the Dowry (15, 1983, 26mins) is one of the first documented testimonies from Palestinian civilians and Mayors and shows the daily struggles of surviving under constant threat. It presents harrowing accounts of torture and imprisonment, illustrating the brutal reality of resistance.

The director, Ibrahim Abu Nab, born in Jerusalem in 1931, was a renowned Palestinian editor, journalist, filmmaker, and poet. He made significant contributions to Arab media, founding several influential newspapers across the Middle East.

The Way to Palestine (15, 1985, 7mins) follows seven-year-old Layla who lives in a refugee camp outside Palestine following an air raid which has left her severely injured and her father, dead. This film shares the life of Layla and her friends, who tell us how they imagine Palestine despite having never seen it. Director Layaly Bader is a Jordanian/ Palestinian filmmaker.

Jerusalem: the Flower of All Cities (15, 1969, 7mins) provides a rare example of the work of Palestinian photographer and cinematographer, Hani Jawharieh, (1939 – 1976) one of the founding fathers of Palestinian Cinema. Using the soundtrack, “The Flowers of all Cities”, a famous song by Fairouz, the film presents a harmonious picture of Palestinian civil life that is disturbed by the Israeli army’s occupation of the city following the 1967 war with Israel.

This special programme of shorts will be accompanied by an introduction and post film discussion hosted by Saeed Taji Farouky, a Palestinian / Egyptian/ British filmmaker who has been making films around themes of conflict, human rights, and colonialism since 2005. He is designer and lead tutor of the Radical Film School, a free film course based in London dedicated to political filmmakers from marginalised backgrounds.