Being a Palestinian under Israeli occupation will not help someone make a good film, according to Rashid Masharawi, but a good film-maker will help palestine.
With his anthology film From Ground Zero (in Arabic: From Zero Distance) he attempts to do just that by bridging the space between the Palestinians in Gaza who have endured a campaign of annihilation behind closed doors to those around the world watching as an incomprehensibly vast tragedy unfolds in real time.
The result is a collection of 22 shorts by Palestinian film-makers, ranging from documentary to vignettes and animation, which turns our attention not only to the past – and to the unrelenting violence of the present, when the death toll in Gaza continues to climb – but also to the future and what cannot be taken.
“cinema can protect memory and can keep Palestinians on the ground because films are like dreams,ideas. Nobody can occupy dreams.Nobody can occupy ideas. Nobody can occupy memory … Nobody can occupy your creativity,” said Masharawi in an interview in london ahead of the film’s release in UK cinemas on 12 September.
“We have to be optimistic. We have to tell the people: ‘Tomorrow it’s a better day. keep dancing, keep creating, keep making films, because it means you have the future.'”
Film-maker Rashid Masharawi at the Étonnants Voyageurs festival in Saint-Malo, France, in June. Photograph: Sophie Bassouls/Sygma/Getty Images
In a poignant start, we see in Selfie by Reema Mahmoud a woman compose a letter to an unknown friend that by the end is a message in a bottle cast into the sea. In Soft Skin, Khamis Masharawi captures young children learning stop animation to convey the horrors of parents inscribing their limbs with their names should a bomb hit.
But there are moments of dark humour too in Hell’s Heaven as the narrator wakes up in a body bag. Only one film, Taxi Wanissa, is left incomplete as director Etimad Washah appears with a testimony partway through: with the death of her brother and his children, she could not continue.
In the anthology – which was Palestine’s official entry to the 2025 Academy Awards – we see as people forge ahead despite being beset with new, unimaginable realities. And yet with the persistent buzzing of drones overhead, people continue to dance. In a sky that often rains bombardments and less often aid,children still fly kites. The weight of bo
Palestinian Filmmaker Mohammad Najem Masharawi Uses Cinema to Bear Witness to Gaza
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Mohammad Najem Masharawi, a pioneering Palestinian filmmaker, continues to use his work to document life in Gaza, even in the face of immense challenges and political pressure. From his groundbreaking film Haifa in 1996 to his recent protest at the Cannes Film Festival, Masharawi remains dedicated to telling stories of resilience and hope.
A Lifelong Dedication to Palestinian Cinema
Masharawi became the first Palestinian filmmaker to present a feature film at the Cannes Film Festival with Haifa in 1996. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/may/21/cannes-film-festival-palestinian-filmmaker-mohammad-najem-masharawi-gaza His work consistently focuses on the Palestinian experience, offering a vital perspective often absent from mainstream media. He believes in the power of film to transcend immediate circumstances, stating, “Some things… if it comes late, it’s better then if they did not come at all.”
Protest at Cannes and “From Ground Zero”
In 2024, Masharawi returned to Cannes not to celebrate, but to protest. After festival organizers signaled a desire to avoid political statements, Masharawi staged a powerful demonstration. He erected tents reminiscent of those in Gaza and screened his latest film,From Ground Zero: Stories From Gaza. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/09/from-ground-zero-stories-from-gaza-review-scenes-of-ordinary-life-in-extremis From Ground Zero offers a poignant look at everyday life within Gaza amidst ongoing conflict, showcasing the strength and humanity of its residents.
The film has been described as depicting “scenes of ordinary life in extremis,” highlighting the resilience of Gazans. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/09/from-ground-zero-stories-from-gaza-review-scenes-of-ordinary-life-in-extremis
A Vision of Hope Through Filmmaking
Despite the difficulties and political obstacles, Masharawi remains optimistic about the future. He emphasizes the importance of creating films “for life, for tomorrow – to make it with hope.” His dedication underscores the belief that cinema can serve as a powerful tool for bearing witness, fostering understanding, and preserving the stories of those impacted by conflict.