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"In November, we screened seven films that dug into the long history of Palestine’s struggle for liberation. This December, we will continue this program with a selection of Palestinian fiction and nonfiction films which restage this struggle and the lives and culture of the people who persist alongside it. We hope that these films expand audience engagement with this tragic and pivotal conflict. For those already acquainted with the details of the subject, we hope this series offers an opportunity to have your beliefs reaffirmed or perhaps challenged.
"At Spectacle, we pride ourselves on presenting the lost and forgotten, the marginalized, and the obscured. Little has been more (intentionally) obscured than the facts of the blood-soaked history of 20th century Palestine– a history materialized by the politics and apparatus of imperialism, colonialism, capitalism, and various other violent structures of Western hegemony which have turned this sliver of land in the Southern Levant into an unparalleled expression of humanity’s ideological turmoil. The ongoing Israeli bombardment of the region, triggered by Hamas’ attacks on October 7th, must be understood as a continuation of this history. It must also be seen as a reminder that the work of a people’s liberation is the obligation of all humanity, not something that can be compartmentalized or described in isolation.
"The history staged in these films is that of a people engaged in a perpetual struggle for liberation from a colonialist project embodied by a regime which offers no quarter to appeals for a peaceful coexistence. As such, Zionism necessitates resistance, the means of which are subject to excessive scrutiny and furious condemnation. Spectacle does not necessarily endorse every sentiment contained within these films. We simply wish to present, in the midst of immense suffering, a selection of the often overlooked Palestinian contribution to cinema as an artform.
"'My actions were my contribution to my people, to the struggle… We declared to the whole world that we are a people living through an injustice, and that the world has to help us to reach our goal.' – Leila Khaled
"'To us, to liberate our country, to have dignity, to have respect, to have our mere human rights – is something as essential as life itself.' – Ghassan Kanafani
I don’t walk, I fly, I become another,
transfigured. No place and no time. So who am I?
I am no I in ascension’s presence. But I
think to myself: Alone, the prophet Muhammad
spoke classical Arabic. “And then what?”
Then what? A woman soldier shouted:
Is that you again? Didn’t I kill you?
I said: You killed me … and I forgot, like you, to die.
–In Jerusalem, Mahmoud Darwish
"-all proceeds to benefit relief efforts-
"From The River To The Sea // Solidarity Forever // Spectacle 2023" —Spectacle