Living as a refugee at Balata camp in the northern West Bank, Maha choreographs a scenario to fulfill the unrealized goal of Palestinian sovereignty for her ailing blind grandfather.
Supported by
Community Partner
Sama Idreesi, Kamel El Basha
France/Jordan
2023
In Arabic with English subtitles
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Made in Palestine Project – Rashid Abdelhammid
Producer
Topshot Films Bastien Daret, Arthur Goisset, Robin Robles
Screenwriter
Nour Ben Salem, Julien Menanteau
Cinematography
Éric Devin
Editor
Manon Falise
Production Design
Ayoub Nahhas
Original Music
Jack Bartman
Nour Ben Salem
After a master’s degree in cinema at the Sorbonne and a TV series course at La Fémis, Nour Ben Salem worked as a scriptwriter for television and cinema. She co-wrote the feature film Hard Shell, Soft Shell (2021) directed by Emma Benestan, as well as several episodes of the series Reign Supreme for Arte/Netflix. Palestine Islands is her first work as a director.
Julien Menanteau
After studying cinema in Montreal and at the Sorbonne, Julien Menanteau directed his first short film Rikishi (2017), followed by Samaritan (2018), a creative documentary shot over two years in Palestine. Broadcasted on Arte, the film won a star from the SCAM. Lads, his upcoming debut fiction feature, received support from the CNC.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
A Poet
When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.
It Was Just an Accident
Having offered some late-night assistance to a stranger in the wake of an auto accident, a mechanic grows convinced that he recognizes the supposed stranger’s voice as that of his torturer during a grueling prison spell.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.
Seeds
Shot over nine years, Brittany Shyne’s Sundance-winning documentary is a tender portrait of Black farming families in the American South. A moving meditation on land, legacy, and the strength it takes to hold on.