PALESTINE BEYOND REEL: 1000 & 1000 NIGHTS + REFUGEES FOR LIFE

The films and talks are in Arabic with English subtitles

De Cinema and UA host Palestine Beyond Reel for an evening of powerful cinema and meaningful conversation as we trace the historical roots of the Middle East conflict, unpack its enduring effects on Palestinian communities, and reflect on its present-day global implications.

Palestine Beyond Reel is a transnational initiative led by Entity Collective vzw, a Brussels-based platform operating at the crossroads of art and social science. This project thrives on collaboration—bridging filmmakers, cultural institutions, academics, and grassroots organizations from both Europe and the Middle East. At its heart is a committed team based in Gaza, whose lived experiences provide an irreplaceable depth and authenticity to the project. Together, they amplify Palestinian heritage and resistance through storytelling that challenges systems of oppression and imagines pathways for justice and healing.

This event brings together the voices of independent filmmakers, expert thinkers, and members of marginalized ethnic groups from Palestine. Their perspectives offer a deeply human lens into the complexities of the region—past, present, and future.

1000 & 1000 NIGHTS (1999, HADY ZACCAK - 15' ENG ST)
A creative reimagination of the Israeli-Arab conflict through the lens of the classic Arabian Nights tales, with Scheherazade narrating a story where Aladdin's magic lamp is stolen by an Israeli soldier, prompting Sindbad and Ali Baba to join forces to recover it. Will Aladdin retrieve his magic lamp?

REFUGEES FOR LIFE (2006, HADY ZACCAK - 48' ENG ST)
Through the experience of three families of Palestinian refugees living in gatherings located in Tyre, South of Lebanon and a human rights activist, the film looks at their everyday struggles, their aspirations to communicate with their relatives in Germany and their continuous waiting to return one day to Palestine.

Programme:

7:45 PM Welcome and opening remarks by Maarten Coëgnarts, assistant-professor Film Studies and Visual Culture (UA) on behalf of ViDi: Introducing the speakers and evening schedule
7:50 PM Project introduction by Hadil Alrami: Overview of Palestine Beyond Reel
7:55 PM Film introductions by filmmaker Hady Zaccak (via Zoom - prerecorded)
8:00 PM Screening: 1000 & 1000 NIGHTS
8:15 PM Introduction to film REFUGEES FOR LIFE by Hady
8:20 PM Screening: REFUGEES FOR LIFE
9:10 PM Panel debate moderated by Dr. Elif Durmuş. Featuring: Hady Zaccak (Filmmaker), Hala Shoman (Political Science Researcher Gaza Activist), Badawiya Hosni Wasif Cohen (Samaritan Journalist), Dr. Hani Albasoos (Historian and Writer)
10:15 PM Closing