- 200 Meters (2019) dir. Ameen Nayfeh
Every night, Mustafa says goodnight to his children by flashlight – signalling across the 200 metres that keep them apart, on either side of the encroaching Israeli-constructed wall. But when his son is taken to hospital, the distance that separates him from his family might as well be an ocean. Via bureaucracy, heavily-policed checkpoints and smugglers, his odyssey collides fatefully with others – from a young boy simply trying to find work, to a naively defiant Palestinian returning home for his cousin’s wedding with his camera-ready German girlfriend. Whilst the wall fragments Palestine itself, it is the subtle and labyrinthine ramifications of everyday life that Ameen Nayfeh brings into frame, highlighting the ingenuity and dignity of Mustafa’s attempts to withstand the situation.
Runtime: 96m
- The Present (2020) dir. Farah Nabulsi
Each morning, Yusef, a doting father-of-one, has no other choice but to queue for hours and navigate the harrowing Checkpoint 300, an infamous, crowded Israeli crossing point between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to get to work on time. But, on his wedding anniversary, Yusef has arranged to pick up a new fridge for his wife, Noor, and even though the store is in Jerusalem, he is determined to endure the dehumanising process, the armed soldiers’ scrutinising gaze, and even humiliation, to go shopping with his young daughter, Yasmine. Is this just the beginning of a long, challenging day?
Runtime: 24m
- Maradona’s Legs (2019) dir. Firas Khoury
During the 1990 World Cup, two young Palestinian boys are looking for “Maradona’s legs” - the last missing sticker that they need in order to complete their world cup album and win a free Atari.
Runtime: 23m
Venue: Harrie Massey LT
