2024
Short Documentary(North America Premiere)

Dancing Palestine

CC
Closed captions online
OC
Open captions in-person

To dance is to remember, to dance is to remind. As the Palestinian identity continues to be threatened with erasure, Palestinians turn to their folk dance, the dabke, as an homage to their history and culture and to assert their existence. Dancing Palestine documents this embodiment of collective memory, as those who piece together a dabke choreography piece together their identities too. Together with the film, the dabke is a testament to Palestinians’ deep love of life, and thus their need to contribute to the archive of Palestine, so that it continues to live on in the present.

Screenings

Directors Spotlight

A picture of a woman named Lamees Almakkawy, seated on a chair against a muted sage green background. She is composed in a relaxed and confident pose, with her left arm resting on her knee and her right hand positioned under her chin. She is wearing a long-sleeved, flowy white blouse beige bottom. Her long, wavy brown hair cascades over her shoulders, framing her smiling face.

Lamees Almakkawy

Director

Lamees Almakkawy is from the United Arab Emirates. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and New Media from New York University Abu Dhabi, and a Master of Fine Arts from University College London. Her interests lie in the intersection of documentary and fiction filmmaking, with a particular focus on identity, performance, collective and individual memory, and coming-of-age stories. She uses film as an outlet to understand what is normally unspoken – exploring the medium’s potential to unpack questions within and outside of herself. She is currently working as a digital media producer in London.

Runtime
37 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
Language
Arabic, English
Director
Lamees Almakkawy
Cast
Ahmed Najar, Sarah Amawi, Fares Farraj, Zeina Zkeih
Cinematographer
Lamees Almakkawy, Grace Long Yung Yu, Ang Li, Keran Zhou, Simon Emilio Gutierrez, Daer Ding, Yash Zhang
Editor
Lamees Almakkawy
Producer
Lamees Almakkawy
Sound Design
Lamees Almakkawy
Premiere
North America

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