HOLIDAYS IN PALESTINE

2024, dir. Maxime Lindon
France, Palestine, Qatar; 60 min.
In Arabic with English subtitles

Upon returning to his Palestinian hometown, former activist Shadi grapples with conflicting family expectations and the painful realization that local resistance to the occupation has waned. Disillusioned by his homecoming, he retreats to his peaceful life in France, left to question whether his ongoing exile is a surrender or an accomplishment.

Following the screening will be a Q&A.

Preceded by the short films:

FRAGMENTED

2025, dirs. Balolas Carvalho and Tanya Marar, 7 min.

After being forced to flee Gaza, Qassem grapples with the weight of exile, torn between survival and the life he left behind. Through fractured memories, hope, and trauma, his story unfolds, offering an intimate portrait of displacement, resilience, and the lingering echoes of a homeland that is constantly being taken away.

SANCTUARY

2024, dir. Mena Nasiri, 8 min.

Exploring police brutality and institutional hostility towards Arab and Muslim students, this documentary reveals how the University of Michigan's broad trends of surveillance transform a sanctuary into a symbol of systemic oppression.

THE SILENCE THEY TAUGHT US

2025, dir. Paula Sahyoun, 9 min.

The Silence They Taught Us is an autobiographical documentary short following Paula, a Palestinian-Canadian professional in Toronto, as she confronts the cost of silence in the face of anti-Palestinian racism.

MORGENKREIS (MORNING CIRCLE)

2025, dir. Basma al-Sharif, 21 min.

A short visceral narrative film unfolds in three parts to describe loss. From our earliest experience of separation to the imperceptible violence associated with integrating to a new country when yours is no longer livable, Morgenkreis follows a father and son in their intimate rituals as they prepare to start the day and head to kindergarten.

Director Basma al-Sharif will be present.