London Palestine Film Festival showcases cinematic resistance

A still from the film Alam, which is featured in the film festival

Socialist Worker selects six must-see movies from an impressive programme

The Cinema of Mohammad Malas triple feature—The Dream, The Memory and Quneitra 74 

Malas is a Syrian filmmaker born in the Golan Heights. His film, The Dream, is a collection of interviews with over 400 Palestinian refugees living in the Sabra, Shatila, Bourj el-Barajneh, Ain al-Hilweh and Rashidieh camps.  

The Memory focuses on one woman who decides to stay in her small town of Quneitra as the Israeli forces occupy the Golan Heights during the war of 1973. 
In Quneitra 74, villagers return to their town after the Israeli army has made their homes uninhabitable. 

• Friday 24 November at 6.30pm at the Curzon Cinema Hoxton, 55 Pitfield St N1 6BU

Footsteps on the Wind and Notes on Displacement double feature 

The animated feature Footsteps on the Wind was created by Maya Sanbar, Faga Melo and Gustavo Leal.

It follows Noor and her little brother Josef, who were orphaned after an earthquake.

Notes on Replacement, directed by Khaled Jarrar, follows one family that has been forced to flee first Palestine, then Syria.
In this documentary Jarrar joins the family on their harrowing journey to Germany in search of safety.

• Sunday 26 November at 4.30pm at the Institute Of Contemporary Arts, the Mall, St. James’s SW1Y 5AH 

ALAM

Directed by Firas Khoury, the film follows a Palestinian man who agrees to participate in a mysterious flag operation on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day to impress a young woman. 

• Monday 27 November at 9.30pm at the Curzon Cinema Hoxton, 55 Pitfield St N1 6BU

Goal Dreams—including discussion with director Maya Sanbar 

This documentary focuses on the Palestinian men’s national football team as it attempts to qualify for the World Cup.
The team encounters many problems along the way, including team members from Gaza not being allowed to leave. 

• Tuesday 28 November at 7pm at The Brunei Lecture Theatre, Soas university, WC1B 5DQ

A Gaza Weekend 

After an outbreak of a deadly disease in Israel, a British journalist and his Israeli girlfriend hatch a plan to escape the country—through Gaza.
A comedy directed by Basil Khalil. 

• Thursday 30 November at 6.20pm at the Curzon Cinema Hoxton, 55 Pitfield St, London N1 6BU

Samouni Road 

Following the loss of their brothers, parents and cousins to Israeli terror, the Samouni family come together to celebrate a wedding.
The documentary, directed by Stefano Savona, combines footage with animation to capture a family piecing itself back together after unimaginable loss. 

• Friday 1 December at 7pm at the Central Film School, 72 Landor Road SW9 9PH

The London Palestine Film Festival runs until Friday 1 December.

Get tickets and further details from palestinefilm.org.uk