ABOUT THE FILM

In the early autumn of 2002, seven young Palestinian artists gather in Ramallah to present their work in a group exhibition for an Arts Competition. Three others, unable to attend because of the total closure of the Gaza Strip where they live, send their work through the French and British diplomatic bags.Three jurors brave the closures and travel to Ramallah from Jerusalem, Cuba and France. The film is a video diary, which recounts the events surrounding the exhibition and explores some aspects of art’s relationship with resistance, politics and violence.

DOAN | Filmmakers

Omar Al-Qattan

Omar Al-Qattan is a Palestinian-British director, producer and writer. Born in Beirut in 1964, he has worked in film since 1991. His film credits include, among others, Dreams and Silence (1991), a 52 minute documentary shot during the weeks preceding the Gulf War, portraying a Palestinian woman refugee in Jordan and her struggles with the religious and social constraints around her at a time of great tension and anguish. The film, one of the first to tackle the theme of political Islam, won the Joris Ivens Award.

Omar Al-Qattan -- Documentary, 17’ (UK/ Palestine: 2002)