FILM SCREENINGS: CHRONICLES OF A REFUGEE

Time: 20 May 2012 3:30pm - 06 June 2012 9:00pm

Place: London Film School, 24 Shelton Street, WC2H 9UB

CHRONICLES OF A REFUGEE

Chronicles of a Refugee presents the stories and experiences of Palestinian refugees displaced in 1948 and their descendants. Filmed in 17 countries, 18 refugee camps and 36 cities with more than 300 interviews of Palestinian refugees who have lived in over 25 countries, Chronicles of a Refugee is the first documentary film to look at the global Palestinian refugee experience since 1948.

Details of Screenings:

Each episode will be guest-hosted by a Palestinian who will discuss their own experiences in relation to the theme of the episode and engage the audience in a broader discussion to consider the subjects and challenges raised by the films.

Sunday 20 May : “Gala” opening event (15.30 – 18.00)
The Nakba Dailies: The first episode of the Chronicles of a Refugee series, “The Nakba Dailies,” recounts the events of 1947-48 in Palestine as experienced by those who lived them. Giving voice to Palestinian parents with children, rural peasants and urban elites, politically engaged and average citizens, this episode explores how the Nakba was experienced throughout Palestine and how the Palestinian refugee issue was created.

Wednesday 23 May (19.00 – 21.00)
The Daily Nakbas: “The Daily Nakbas” picks up the experience of Palestinian refugees worldwide in 1967 and is an exploration of the repeated expulsions of Palestinians from various countries and refugee camps around the world from 1967 to 2007, featuring Palestinians telling their accounts of being made homeless as a result of: the 1967 War; the invasion of Karameh Camp in 1968; the aftermath of the Munich Olympics killings in 1972; the 1976 destruction of Tel Al-Zaatar Camp in Lebanon; the expulsions from Egypt in the wake of President Sadat’s peace initiative with Israel; the massacres in Sabra and Shatila Camp in 1982; the assaults on Palestinian camps during the War of the Camps in Lebanon from 1985-87; the mass eviction of the Palestinian community from Kuwait in 1991 and from Libya in 1995-96; the restrictions and new security policies targeting Arabs and Muslims following the 9/11 attacks in the US and Canada; the Israeli destruction of Jenin Camp in 2002; the targeting of the Palestinian community in Iraq following the US invasion in 2003 and the onset of civil war; the annihilation of Nahr al-Bared Camp in Lebanon in 2007; and the war on Gaza in 2009.

Sunday 27 May (15.30 – 17.30)
A Homeland Without an ID zooms onto the other major defining experience of Palestinian refugees worldwide over 60 years: legal, social and political discrimination. Looking at such experiences in the Arab and Western worlds, this episode details how host governments treat Palestinians from a “security” perspective rather than a human rights perspective. LThe episode offers historical context as well as lived experiences of discrimination in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Egypt, the Gulf Arab states, and different Western nations. Also featured are stories of the “non-IDs”.

Wednesday 30 May (19.00 – 21.00)
Identity Without a Homeland unpacks the meaning and attributes of Palestinian identity in different parts of the world after 60 years of dispossession and refugee status. In this episode, ordinary Palestinians rather than “experts,” debate taboo subjects, such as: the role of refugee camps, the usefulness of citizenship, and the effect of living outside the Arab world on the formation of Palestinian identity. With a focus on the younger generation, the episode features interviews with Palestinians living in 15 countries who explain how they understand their Palestinian identity.

Sunday 3 June (15.30 – 17.30)
The Talk of Return explores through interviews and archival footage the effectiveness of work previously done for achieving the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes. The tension between establishing a Palestinian state and achieving refugee rights is debated, including the history of the PLO’s role in maneuvering between the two positions. This episode asks important questions on what work remains to be done.

Wednesday 6 June (19.00 – 21.00)
The Return of Talk examines the relationship between the representatives and the represented in a historical context, and starts a debate over the strategy for having an appropriate Palestinian leadership in the future. This episode is a comprehensive look at the meaning of political leadership for a people facing exile, occupation and ongoing dispossession. It combines activist, grassroots and elite reflections on the history, as well as a future strategy of the Palestinian national movement.

All films are being screened at the London Film School, 24 Shelton Street, WC2H 9UB. There is no charge but donations to help pay for the screenings are welcomed.

Please click here for further information.

CORRECTION: This is not a London Film School event as previously listed and the London Film School has no responsibility for the content of the screenings.

For more information please contact the organiser Georgina Reeves on georgina@ripserve.com