Running parallel to the Berlinale, Refuge Worldwide will host Falastin Cinema Week: five days of film screenings, talks and art exploring Palestinian histories and decolonial narratives at Refuge's Niemetzstraße community space in Berlin and at Spore Initiative. Together with AL.Berlin, Jewish Bund, Diaspora Rising, Spore Initiative, Jüdische Stimme, Irish Bloc Berlin, Rawy Films, SPACE OF URGENCY, Salma Elshami, Amal Abu Hanna, House Of Base and more, Falastin Cinema Week will run daily from Monday 17th February and Friday 21st February. 

Although a tentative ceasefire is in place, February 2025 will mark the 77th year of the occupation. We call for an end of the apartheid regime, the right to return, sovereignty and self-determination for all indigenous Palastinan and Levantine people. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement and with all interconnected decolonial struggles.

Schedule

2:00 P.m - 4:00 P.m 

(A State of Passion) حالة عشق

Carol Mansour & Muna Khalidi, Lebanon/Palestine/Jordan 2024, 90 mins. Documentary, English & Arabic with English subtitles 

The feature-length documentary by Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi that follows Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah, a Palestinian surgeon who endured the horrors of the 2021 Gaza war. The film captures Dr. Abu Sittah's emotional journey as he grapples with the trauma of witnessing unimaginable suffering. Through intimate interviews and observational footage, 'State of Passion' explores his motivations, his family's support, and the enduring impact of the conflict on his life and the lives of Palestinians.

Filmmakers Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi, close friends of the Abu Sittahs, share that same passion.  They were waiting anxiously for Ghassan to emerge from Gaza, following a long and terrifying journey through the night, to meet him in Amman.  Determined to capture his raw emotions they began filming him the moment he arrived through the door.  Following him to Beirut, Amman, London, Kuwait and Dubai, they and he explore their common State of Passion.

5:00 P.m - 7:00 P.m 

Panel Discussion

Censored But Never Silent

Palestinian Cinema; the fight against censorship and the path to solidarity 

This panel discussion will critically examine the challenges faced by Palestinian filmmakers and activists within German structures due to the silencing and marginalization of voices advocating for Palestinian rights. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the Palestinian cause and promote open dialogue within the German art scene.

Guests: TBA*

7:45 P.m - 8:45 P.m 

(From Ground Zero) من المسافة صفر

From Ground Zero is a project that brings together 22 short films by directors from Gaza. Launched by Rashid Masharawi, the internationally renowned Palestinian filmmaker from Gaza, the initiative was created against the backdrop of the current war and offers young artists a space to express themselves through their craft. Each film is between three and six minutes long and presents an individual perspective on the current reality in Gaza. The project captures the diverse life experiences in the Palestinian enclave, the challenges, tragedies and moments of resilience faced by the people there. With a mix of genres including fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation and experimental cinema, From Ground Zero presents a variety of authentic and personal stories that reflect the grief and hope inherent in life in Gaza.

Selfie by Reema Mahmoud, No Signal by Muhammad Alshareef, Sorry Cinema by Ahmad Hassouna, Flash Back by Islam Al Zrieai, Echo by Mustafa Kallab, Everything Is Fine by Nidal Damo, Soft Skin by Khamees Masharawi, The Teacher by Tamer Najm, Charm by Bashar Al-Balbeisi, A School Day by Ahmed Al-Danf, Overburden by Ala’a Ayob, Hell’s Heaven by Kareem Satoum 24 Hours by Alaa Damo, Jad and Natalie by Aws Al-Banna, Recycling by Rabab Khamees, Taxi Waneesa by E’temad Weshah, Offerings by Mustafa Al-Nabih, No by Hana Awad, Farah and Mirayim by Wissam Moussa, Fragments by Basil Al-Maqousi, Out of Frame by Nidaa Abu Hasna Awakening by Mahdi Karirah