Gaza strophe. The Day After.
Uitstekende Video over de Kerstaanval op Gaza.
It is Tuesday 20th January 2009, the day of Barak Obama's inauguration, not even 48 hours after the announcement of a ceasefire and yet the drones continue to thrum through the bright blue sky and the Israeli bombs shower down onto the civilian populations. Abu Samer and Joker, two activists from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, wait for us at the Rafah border crossing, through which we came with a French delegation, after a long wait on the Egyptian side. 

During three weeks, the Palestinian human rights activists guided us through the long and narrow Gaza Strip, on the tracks of the Israeli tanks that not only destroyed everything in their wake but were paired with air and sea strikes. Tens of witnesses of the Israeli actions testify before the camera. Their striking and precise recounting of the events brings us into what is the Palestinian nightmare. However, we are far from the lamentations of a victim: everywhere, we meet people standing tall, dignified and wholeheartedly committed to continue living their lives.

Samir Abdallah & Kheridine Mabrouk brought back this footage from Palestine, a country that appears more and more like a metaphor. They will be presenting and discussing the film in progress.

Samir Abdallah is a reporter and documentary film-maker who established the association "Les Yeux Ouverts" (Open Eyes) which organises workshops in the districts of Paris aimed at developing a reflective gaze on images and representations of reality in public practice. He also leads Cinemeteque, an international network of public film projections and documentary programs expressing a critical point of view on the contemporary world, with more than 3000 associate partners in France, Europe, the United States and the Arab world.

Kheridine Mabrouk is an author and illustrator. His work has appeared in various magazines. He is co-founder of a French magazine Hawwa that reflects on Muslim culture and Grizlis, a communication agency. He is artistic director for various publishers and has made several promotional films, including a forthcoming film on Sufis in Damas and the heirs to Emir Abdelkader. By Samir Abdallah & Kheridine Mabrouk of Les Yeux Ouverts

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I did part of the English subtitles for this excellent documentary by Samir Abdallah and Khéridine Mabrouk. Days after the ceasefire following the Israeli military assault of the Gaza Strip, more commonly known as operation Cast Lead, in January 2009, the filmmakers managed to enter Gaza and film exclusive footage of the aftermath that they turned into the present documentary. To my knowledge it has not yet been released in the United States though while I am here I hope to be able to organize a few showings.

For more information on the situation in Gaza and the Occupied Territories in the West Bank, you can check out the Palestinian Center for Human Rights which is a truly invaluable resource, and the Global Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement.


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