PASSING DREAMS

2024, dir. Rashid Masharawi
Canada, France, Palestine, Sweden; 80 min.
In Arabic with English subtitles

Sami, aged 12, is obsessed with finding his elusive carrier pigeon across the Palestinian territories. Convinced that the bird has returned to its place of origin, Sami sets off on a journey that takes him from his refugee camp near the separation wall to Haifa.

Along the way, he convinces his uncle and cousin to go with him, crosses the ‘green’ line, enters Jerusalem and meets other Palestinians. In the end, it doesn’t matter what the pigeon is, the journey brings hope and confidence, symbolised by the flight of the pigeon.

Preceded by the short films:

THEY'RE NOT JUST SONGS

2025, dir. Hamza Amro, 6 min.

This short traces Palestinian musician Ahmad Eid’s journey from childhood melodies to global stages, as he struggles with exile, censorship, and war — turning music into a vessel of grief, memory, and defiance.

BORN A CELEBRITY

2024, dir. Luay Awwad, 13 min.

Feeling confined in his small Palestinian town and close-knit community, Kamel, a young man, embarks on a journey to discover his personal freedom and privacy.

GAZA BRIDE 17

2025, dir. Waseem Khair, 20 min.

A fisherman from Gaza is trapped in his haunting memories. After losing his only child, he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder that leads him on a psychological journey, reliving his tragedy in a different reality.