A Palestinian film centered on the story of Gaza has been shortlisted in the International Feature Film category of the 97th Academy Awards. Start from ground zero “2024” is an anthology documentary composed of 22 short films curated by Ramallah-based director Rashid Masharawi. It is one of three Palestinian works shortlisted for this year’s awards cycle. The final nomination will be on 1 Announced on March 17th.
Start from ground zero Putting the camera in the hands of several filmmakers who have survived Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, three- to six-minute short films show viewers what life is like amid ruins, chaos, scarce resources and uncertainty. The footage ranges from documentaries documenting the aftermath of Israeli airstrikes on residential and commercial neighborhoods and daily life in tent camps with military planes constantly buzzing overhead, to footage of search and rescue missions, recorded testimonies of children, and even stop-motion animation collages .
“My goal is to amplify the voices of 22 Gazan filmmakers, and I am fortunate to be able to realize this vision,” Masharawi said in a press statement.
One of the participants in the film is Basel ElMaqousi, a displaced Gazan artist, teacher and co-founder of the Shababeek Center for Contemporary Art in Gaza, which was involved in Israel’s Al-Aqsa Hospital was destroyed in the second attack. ElMaqousi’s short film Shards (2024) juxtaposes charcoal drawings of the horror and atrocities inflicted on civilians with footage of daily life amid a complete dismantling of infrastructure and limited resources.
in Facebook messages allergic ElMaqousi, who is from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, said Masharawi gave each artist “complete freedom of expression, direction and spontaneity” in recognition of their contribution to Start from ground zero Although the means of production are limited. He noted that the film’s message was inspired by a quotation from the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s novella “Ward Six” (1892): “Thus, as in a prison, the common People who are unfortunately locked up together will feel more relaxed when they are together…”
“We hope that this film will win and achieve the great success that we all desire, and that our message and freedom will be conveyed, which is the right of everyone in this world,” El Makoussi wrote.
“The war has destroyed everything in Gaza, from people to animals to trees,” he continued. “It destroyed education and health. It left two and a half million people dead before the eyes of the world, living in tents and living on the streets. This participation affirms our right to be a soft hand in resistance. The film is our message important way.”
Despite being selected to premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, the film was pulled from the event program weeks before the event, forcing Masshalawi to host an informal screening in a tent – a tribute to Gaza civilians pay tribute. The festival grounds protested the decision.
Start from ground zero Premiered at Amman Film Festival, Jordan, It has since screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival and City World Film Festival.
Fledgling Palestinian production and distribution label Watermelon Pictures acquires distribution rights to Watermelon Start from ground zero Released in September, the film will premiere to the public on January 3.
“We are happy Start from ground zero Already shortlisted for an Academy Award – the perspectives of Gaza’s filmmakers are more urgent and important today than ever,” Munir Atalla, who oversees production and acquisitions for Watermelon Pictures, said in a statement. allergic.
Atala continued: “If the purpose of cinema is to bring the world closer to us, to challenge us profoundly, and to reveal aspects of our common humanity, then I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this moment and this honor. “We have high hopes that this film will show the world a side of Gaza that has been made under unimaginable circumstances over the past year. Start from ground zero This is not just a movie, it’s a miracle. “
Other Palestinian films nominated for the 97th Academy Awards include Oranges from Jaffa (2024), a 27-minute piece about a young Palestinian struggling to cross an Israeli checkpoint, in the live-action short category. story; and no other land (2023), co-directed by Basil Adela and Yuval Abraham, is a documentary. The latter chronicled Israel’s destruction of Adela’s hometown of Masafir Yatta, and the two directors caused a stir at February’s Berlin Film Festival with their vitriolic speeches about Palestinian rights and sovereignty at the awards ceremony. sensation.
