Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Page 48

Music & Arts

Toronto’s Different Spotlight

When one thinks of lines and Palestine in the same sentence, the mind automatically thinks of checkpoints. But on a rainy Saturday outside Bloor Cinema in Toronto, lines and Palestine had to do with the hottest ticket in the city: opening night of the second annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF), where director Cherien Dabis’ debut film “Amreeka,” a story about a Palestinian woman who immigrates to America from Ramallah with her teenage son, was making its Canadian premiere.

“Amreeka” screened to a sold-out crowd who laughed, cheered and applauded the film. In the past few years, Palestine film festivals have become popular in such cities as London, Chicago, Boston and Houston, to name a few, and now, in its second year, Toronto has joined this league. Coming off the success of last year’s festival, TPFF organizers decided to focus on non-stereotypical cinema, since most Western films represent Arabs as harem girls, Kalashnikov-wielding terrorists or dark-skinned camel riders. From 200 submissions organizers selected a variety of genres, old and new films, some making their Canadian premieres and many covering diverse aspects of Palestinian identity or daily hardships.

TPFF screened various films focusing on the Gaza attack and its aftermath, including “Missing Gaza,” “I am Ghazza” and “Rough Cut.” There was also a screening of the first feature film made in Gaza, “Tale of the Three Jewels,” by acclaimed director Michel Khleifi.

Water is another important theme in films about the West Bank and Gaza, where water is a luxury and only 15 percent of the population has ready access to it. “Drying up Palestine” discussed water issues in the West Bank; “About the Sea” told the story of young men and women who lament the sea they can no longer reach, and “By Land or By Water: Gaza Under Siege,” filmed by members of LifeSource Project (a Palestinian-led collective which addresses the regional water crisis), discussed the blockade.

Other films featured tributes to Palestinian filmmakers or icons including Mustafa Abu Ali, the founder of Palestinian cinema and the PLO’s film division, who died in July 2009. Abu Ali’s documentary about Lebanon’s Nabatiya refugee camp, “They Do Not Exist,” was discovered in the ruins of 1982 Beirut and salvaged. Homages to the late Prof. Edward Said included screenings of “A Palestinian Mural,” “Najla” and “Selves and Others: A Portrait of Edward Said.” “To My Father,” by Abdelsalam Shehadeh, looked back at 50 years of Palestinian and Arab history through photographs and reportage.

TPFF also showcased Canadian photographer Larry Towell, who attended the screening of his film, a personal video and photo diary of his experiences in the occupied territories after Oslo in what Towell calls “an open air prison.”

Alongside the film screenings, TPFF 2009 featured events to appeal to a variety of audiences. SAHTAIN! film and food brunch provided attendees with a taste of Palestine, courtesy of acclaimed chef Isam Kaisi. Kaisi prepared a traditional Palestinian brunch at 93 Harbord restaurant to a sold-out audience, who enjoyed two food-themed short films.

An art exhibit, “Jewels in the Machine: New Media Works,” curated by Reena Katz, featured an array of technological media including video, digital photography, projection and audio composition by artists Jamelie Hassan, Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, John Kameel Farah, and Jumana Manna. The exhibit included illustrations from Project Hope’s Graphic Novel initiative in Nablus, a project led by two Toronto students.

Members of the TPFF advisory board, along with some directors and scholars, discussed stereotypes in cinema, the use of film and art as a form of resistance, and the current state of Palestinian productions at panels throughout the festival. For the closing night of the festival, audiences were treated to Rashid Masharawi’s “Laila’s Birthday” and “Checkpoint Rock,” a Spanish documentary by directors Javier Corcueran and Fermin Muguruza spotlighting talents from the diverse Palestinian music scene. The latter was such a hit that people rushed out of the theater to the DVD sales booth asking for copies of “Checkpoint Rock.”

The volunteer-based TPFF repeated the success of its initial year. Organizers are ready to devote their efforts to the festival’s third year, which they hope will grow to be larger than the previous two.

   —Danah Abdulla