'From Ground Zero': Urgent Cinema
Laura Nikolov, one of the producers of From Ground Zero, opened our screening with a compelling remark: “After October 7th, it became essential to amplify the voices of the people of Gaza, particularly through cinema.” Truer words have never been spoken, enunciating the significance of cinema, and art as a whole, in providing an avenue for resistance against the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
From Ground Zero is an anthology of 22 short films created by Palestinians in the aftermath of October 7th, against a backdrop of genocide. Each short, spanning a maximum of 7 minutes, provides a range of storytelling styles, including documentary, experimental cinema, fiction, and animation. It was a compelling encapsulation of a range of critical perspectives.
I distinctly recall texting a friend before entering the venue, confessing that I “just wanted to be at home”. It had been a long day of classes, work, and stress. It was cold and dark outside and I hadn’t properly slept; my exhaustion was catching up to me. However, when I left the venue only one thought resonated with me: for the people of Palestine the yearning to be home is more than just a fleeting desire, it is an enduring struggle. This longing to return home is a thread that runs through many of the short films, but there’s an overshadowing reminder deep inside the minds of everyone watching that there may be no home to return to.
One of the most striking films of the collection was Taxi Waneesa, directed by E’temad Weshah. Just as we embark upon the narrative of a donkey losing her beloved owner in an explosion, there’s an abrupt cut to a clip of E’temad Weshah herself. She stands solemnly in front of the camera, revealing to the audience the news of her brother’s death, and admitting that it is no longer possible for her to complete the film due to the overwhelming sadness and loneliness she feels. This moment transcends the screen, offering a powerful reminder of the humanity and resilience of the Palestinian filmmakers behind these works.
As an aspiring filmmaker, I was particularly touched by Ahmad Hassouna’s Sorry Cinema, a reflective documentary piece detailing Hassouna’s lifelong devotion to creating films. With unwavering passion, he poured time, money, and creativity into his art, despite the lack of a real industry in Palestine. These priorities quickly shift following October 7th. Now Hassouna spends his time desperately trying to find food and safety for his family; he has to leave cinema behind in a struggle for survival. He makes a heartfelt apology to cinema, leaving the audience speechless at such a drastic turn of events.
With a slightly different tone, Everything is Fine by Nidal Damo follows a stand-up comedian’s day getting ready to perform for the people in the refugee camps, hoping to bring solace in a time of darkness. He struggles to survive whilst carrying out basic everyday tasks like showering and getting dressed, serving as a powerful cue of the enduring determination to carry on living everyday in the face of violence.
Earlier in the day, I attended a seminar where we discussed how films dealing with resistance, war, and political conflict are often made in hindsight, therefore being unable to fully encapsulate the immediacy of events in relation to film theorist André Bazin’s ideas of recording realism in cinema. Yet From Ground Zero stands apart; these shorts aren’t retrospective reflections but urgent, contemporary accounts of the current devastation in Gaza. They demand to be seen and heard, confronting the spectator and urging us to act against the Zionist entity of Israel and its allies. From the silver screen to social media, this devastation is being documented first hand by the victims - when has that ever been possible before?
Every film in this anthology holds equal significance. Cinema is a powerful tool, it gives a voice to the voiceless. It's a testament to the fact that the Palestinian people will not remain silent in this time, and neither should we. From Ground Zero captures both grief and struggle, but also a light at the end of the tunnel. The stories go far beyond mere documentation, instead evidencing the unyielding humanity of Palestinians, additionally proving that art does not just urge us to think, but to act. Each individual viewer in our screening was tied together by a collective reckoning towards injustice, and hopefully an incitement to be part of change.
Edited by Emily Henman, Co-Film & TV Editor
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