BRATTLEBORO — Area residents will have a rare opportunity to experience a range of Palestinian stories at a weekly film series that kicks off April 7, at the historic Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro.
Co-sponsored by Southern Vermont for Palestine and Latchis Arts, the Palestine Film Series will run over four consecutive Sundays featuring 15 films by Palestinians or centered around Palestinian lives. The series includes documentaries, short films, animation and features such as Academy Award nominee “The Present.”
The Sunday afternoon film programs will begin at 4 p.m. with brief introductions. Admission to the film series is by donation. For a full schedule of films, visit sovt4palestine.org/palestine-film-series.
The films bring a human perspective to subjects such as youth, agriculture, gender roles, refugees, and diplomacy. Each week has a different theme. April 7: The Nakba and its Legacy; April 14: Secret Negotiations and Palestinian Resistance; April 21: Life in Occupied Palestine; and April 28: Palestinian Resilience.
“Audiences will appreciate these high-quality, thought-provoking, heartwarming films,” said Shana Frank, a Putney educator who coordinated the series as a member of Southern Vermont for Palestine (SoVT4P). “They have opened my eyes to Palestinians’ long history, rich culture, and immense challenges.”
The first week features “The Tower,” an animated film about a young girl’s search for stories about three generations of her Palestinian family, who took refuge in Lebanon after they were forced to flee their home in Galilee in 1948 during the Nakba, when a nascent Israel pushed tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and villages.
Nell Koenings, professor of anthropology at Hampshire College, and other members of SoVT4P compiled a list of possible films made by and about Palestinians. After previewing dozens of films, they selected ones that will appeal to a wide audience. All of the films are cinematically engaging and put human faces on the Palestinian struggle.
“Too often in western media, Palestinian voices are left out of the conversation entirely as the Palestinian people are reduced to numbers. Especially now, when Israel has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians with U.S.-supplied guns and bombs, and many thousands more face starvation, we believe it is critical for western audiences to see Palestinians as individuals and as human beings who deserve freedom, dignity and human rights,” said Samia Abbass, another member of SoVT4P.
From volunteering with the Women’s Film Festival, organized by the Women’s Freedom Center, and attending the Green Mountain Film Festival, Frank said she understands the power of films to inform and inspire.
Southern Vermont for Palestine (SoVT4P) is a group of local residents who came together in October to organize rallies, marches, and events focused on Palestinian rights and freedom from occupation. The group is part of the statewide Vermont Coalition for Palestinian Liberation, a growing collaboration of 10 groups and hundreds of individuals working together for a free Palestine. Coalition members include Vermont/New Hampshire Jewish Voice for Peace, Vermont Law and Graduate School National Lawyers Guild Chapter, UVM Students for Justice in Palestine and Vermonters for Justice in Palestine.
