Director:
Rashid Masharawi
Year:
2024
Length:
112'
Category:
Feature film
Language:
Arabic
Subtitles:
English
From Ground Zero is a collection of 22 short films made in Gaza. Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, the initiative was born against the backdrop of conflict and aims to give voice to 22 young Gazan filmmakers to express themselves through their craft.The films, ranging in length from 3 to 6 minutes, mix genres including fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation and experimental cinema, to present an unique perspective on the current reality in Gaza. From Ground Zero presents a rich diversity of stories that reflect the sorrow, joy and hope inherent in Gazan life.
The screening is followed by a conversation between film producer Rashid Masharawi (joining online) and film scholar and University of Amsterdam professor Özge Calafato.
Biography:
Rashid Masharawi is a self-taught filmmaker born and raised in Shati refugee camp, in Gaza. All his films since his first feature Curfew (1990) and then Haifa (1996) have received regular international selections, awards and broadcasting. In 1996, he founded the Cinema Production and Distribution Center (Ramallah) to develop a Palestinian cinematographic reflection (workshop, professional training, kids festival and mobile cinema). Many Palestinian filmmakers who have an international career have attended this institution and Masharawi continues to train new generations of directors. He has established the Masharawi Film Fund to support filmmakers in Gaza. Passing Dreams is the latest fiction feature he directed.
Writer, curator, and academic, Özge Calafato is a Lecturer in Literary and Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). She has served as Programming Manager for the Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF) and as a committee member for the SANAD Development and Post-Production Fund. From 2014 to 2020, she was Assistant Director of Akkasah: Center for Photography at NYU Abu Dhabi. Calafato has also worked as a programmer and consultant for numerous film festivals and institutions. Since 2024, she has been an advisor to the Palestinian Film Festival Amsterdam.
