Short III: Herinnering en Hoop

This program brings together short films from Palestine that each in their own way show the tension between past and present, youth and adulthood, absence and homecoming. What does it mean to belong somewhere, to understand your past, or to break away from it?

Upshot – Maha Haj

Palestine/Italy/France – 2024 – 34 min On a remote farm, Suleiman and Lubna seek peace after a devastating loss. Their fragile peace is shattered by the arrival of an unexpected visitor, who exposes a long-hidden truth from the past. A quiet but powerful reflection on grief, memory and the traces that love leaves behind.

Khaled and Nema – Sohail Dahdal

Palestine – 17 min In a Bedouin village threatened with demolition, young Khaled and his goat Nema try to restore the memory of village elder Abu Mariam – the only one who can save the village. A tender, hopeful film about the power of memory and the struggle to preserve a heritage.

Born a Celebrity – Luay Awwad

Palestine – 2024 – 13 min Kamel feels trapped in his close-knit community. In search of freedom, he embarks on a quirky, humorous quest for autonomy and self-expression. A fresh, satirical look at individuality within the collective identity of a small town.

I'll Get Back To You – Uday Jubeh

Palestine – 2024 – 8 min A man returns to his family home in Palestine after years of exile. What begins as a practical mission becomes a personal journey of discovery through memories and silent pains. A poetic and introspective film about homecoming, loss and the roots we never fully leave.

Nya – Imene Ayadi

France/Algeria – 2024 – 16 min Algeria, 1994. As the violence of the civil war approaches, seven-year-old Anya experiences her childhood in innocence. She hopes that her father will return for the Mouloud festival, but reality slowly sinks in. A sensitive and visually layered story about the loss of innocence and the impact of violence on a child's perspective.