On September 16, during the second edition of the Palestine in Cinema Festival in Nice and Montpellier, a film debate was organized at the Forum Jorge François about the film From Ground Zero. Here’s a summary of what was discussed with the participants.
The second edition of the Palestine in Cinema Festival, scheduled in Nice and Montpellier on September 16, organized a film debate with three of the twenty-two filmmakers for the film From Ground Zero. The 22 short films were funded by the Masharawi fund, founded by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, following the attacks of October 7, 2023, to document the situation on the ground.
« I was received like a king, a Hollywood star at the Carthage Festival in 2024 », recalled Tamer Nijim, one of the three Palestinian filmmakers present during the film debate with his short film The Teacher in From Ground Zero. « Cinema is a way to express and create freely », he asserted.
Other filmmakers were also present. The first, Aws Al Banna, a television and theater actor in Gaza, directed Jad and Nathalie. The second director is the independent photographer Basel El Maqousi, with his short film entitled Fragments. However, the internet connection is very poor in Gaza. Only director Basel El Maqousi could not connect to the venues in Nice and Montpellier.
Volunteers present for this event
At the Forum Jorge François, volunteers were on-site to organize the festival. « The situation is chaotic in Gaza. All the directors want to convey a message through cinema. It’s up to us, the spectators, to take action and fulfill their messages of peace and quest for justice », detailed Hager Barkous, president of the Amis de la Palestine 06 association.
According to her, the directors showed the daily lives of Palestinians, human stories that are rarely visible but can be accessed through the few media present in Gaza, such as the Qatari television channel Al Jazeera or the British news agency Reuters. « Participating in the event is the least I can do. This film illustrates what a part of myself and my family experiences. I must be here, act, and not just watch what is happening », said Hanna, a volunteer of Palestinian descent.
Four more film sessions are scheduled until September 26. Among these films, A State of Passion will be shown on September 18 at the Pathé Masséna, The Encampments on September 19, Wardi on September 25, and 3,000 Nights at the Forum Jorge François on the 26th. Organized by the Movement Against Racism and for Friendship among Peoples 06, all proceeds generated by the festival will be distributed to families living in the Gaza Strip.
To date, the second edition of the event is in full swing. That evening, the venue was packed. It remains to be seen whether, in the long term, the festival will establish itself in Nice and Montpellier and expand further.
