Speak Image, Speak
Qumra Projects
Pary El-Qalqili / Feature Experimental or Essay / Palestine, Germany, Qatar
In Arabic, German
Genres: History
Rated: This film has not been rated.
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Synopsis
The image of the masked Palestinian assailants at the 1972 Olympic Games became a recurring motif representing Palestinians as the embodiment of terrorism. Against the backdrop of the symmetrical Olympic village, it almost resembles a scene from a science fiction film. Due to the attacker’s facelessness, his figure remains an abstraction of absolute evil and violence. The figure of the Palestinian as an inherent security threat persists in Germany to this day. ‘Speak Image, Speak’ takes the grainy image of the masked Palestinian with the stocking mask as a starting point to examine the images that circulate about Palestinians. It speaks back to the overwriting of Palestinian history and the distorted imagery that has facilitated their dehumanisation.
The film explores the Palestinian past and present in Germany through the experiences of those who face criminalisation and persecution and are not meant to speak. Survivors of the Nakba and of genocide direct their gaze at the visual fantasies imposed upon Palestinians. They refuse to be silenced.‘Speak Image, Speak’ narrates a self-determined and disobedient counter-memory of Palestinian history in Germany—one that has not yet been told.
About the Director
Pary El-Qalqili is a writer and director based in Berlin. In her cinematic work, she explores nonlinear narratives that challenge hegemonic storytelling. Looking at lives that have been disrupted, uprooted, colonised, and marginalised, she embraces fragmentary narrative forms that expose ruptures, gaps, and discomfort—key approaches to decolonising not only the gaze but also the mind. Her feature film ‘The Turtle’s Rage’ was awarded at international film festivals and had a German cinema release. Her last short film, ‘Neighbours,’ co-directed with Christiane Schmidt, was nominated for the German Critics Award in 2019. She also teaches decolonial and feminist film history. In 2024, she co-founded the Palestinian Feminist Archive Berlin.
Credits
- Director
- Pary El-Qalqili
- Screenwriter
- Pary El-Qalqili
- Producer
- Kesmat Elsayed