Political Film Festival comes to south Leeds

This month sees the first ever Leeds Palestinian Film Festival, and features a screening this week (Thursday 10th December) at the Hamara Centre in Beeston Hill.

The award-winning film – called ‘On the Side of the Road’ (2013) – is a documentary made by Israeli journalist Lia Tarachansky. It argues that Israeli society has largely forgotten or denied the expulsion and displacement of large numbers of Palestinians during the 1948 war for independence (known as ‘the Nakba’ by Palestinians) – and has now destroyed or built over those communities, and lost that history.

Forgotten history? (Image: Naretiv Productions.)
Forgotten history? (Image: Naretiv Productions.)

Christina MacDonald, one of the festival organisers, comments:

“The 1948 war was catastrophic for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians (‘the Nakba’ means ‘the catastrophe’), but this film argues that that reality has pretty much swept under the carpet by successive generations of Israelis. Crucially though, the film doesn’t demonise the Israelis, nor anyone – but simply asks that that history is acknowledged. If not, these ‘hidden histories’ have a way of becoming toxic for everyone.”

The film will screen at 7pm, run for 82 minutes, and will be followed by a short talk and Q + A with a member of the local Palestine Solidarity Campaign group. Tickets cost: £5 standard, £3.50 for concessions, and free for the unwaged (including refugees and people seeking asylum). Click here to watch the film trailer.  For full info on the city-wide film festival, click here or here.

 

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