8, 15, 22, 29 November and 6 December, 9.30 pm, Fila K Cineclube/Casa das Artes da Fundação Bissaya Barreto, Av. Sá da Bandeira, 83, Coimbra

26 October, 2, 9, 16 and 23 November, 9.30 pm, Centro de Cultura e Intervenção Feminista / Lisboa

The camera is like a magic lantern
that we embrace to make our dreams come true.
It is the tool we use to reclaim our existence,
memory, and humanity.
Mai Masri (Plaestinian director)

Being Palestinian combines experiences like war, dispossession, deterritorialization, poverty and emigration, but these realities alone are not sufficient to capture the complexity of these women's lives. It is equally necessary to consider a patriarchal culture, the chains of tradition, as well the tensions, the challenges and the political and social unrest of societies in a process of modernization and under a strong impact of globalization and extreme interference. How do Palestinian women face the different forces which oppress and want to silence them? How do they react, how do they rise against the Israeli occupation and fight for their rights and for emancipation? In order to understand and think about these questions, we seek to give voice to female film directors who claim a Palestinian identity and to filmmakers from the Middle East who have put the Palestinian struggles at the centre of their film projects. A film perspective on the Palestinian women and their struggles, which is also an alternative perspective about the high-profile Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The exhibition of each film will be followed by comments and an open discussion with the audience.

Films with English subtitles.

Free entrance

Organization: Shahd Wadi and Júlia Garraio.

This initiative was only possible due to several supports and sponsorships. We want to thank Zein Tewfic Qattan, Buthina Canaan Khoury, Eran Riklis, Hany Abu-Hassad and Simone Markus. We would also like to thank the following institutions and organizations: Amal International Euro-Arab Film Festival, Pieter van Huisteen Film, Augustin Film and Centro de Documentación sobre Cine Palestino Handala.

A initiative of the Research Group on Humanities, Migration and Peace Studies (NHUMEP) and União Alternativa de Mulheres e Resposta (UMAR).