Ground Zero
Spring Grants 2024 - Post-Production Stage
Rashid Masharawi / Feature Documentary / Palestine, France, Jordan, Qatar / 90 min / Original Language: Arabic / Interests: Documentary, Art/Literature, Experimental, Fiction
Synopsis
This initiative aims to give artists and filmmakers in Gaza the opportunity to articulate their narratives through short films. Each film will serve as a canvas for the expression of personal stories. The project aims to produce twenty different artistic works, culminating in a total length of approximately 60 minutes, ready for presentation in both individual and collective screenings. Inspired by the events in Gaza under constant bombing, these twenty short stories each have a duration of around three minutes. The films encompass various genres, including documentaries, narratives, and experimental movies. This diverse collection provides a powerful platform for Gaza’s artists to share their unique perspectives and experiences with the world.
Credits
- Director
- Rashid Masharawi (Project supervisor)
- Screenwriter
- Ahmed Al-Danaf, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Damo, Alaa Ayoub, Aws Al-Banna, Bashar Al-Balbisi, Basil Al-Maqousi, Etimmad Wishah, Hanaa Awad, Islam Al-Zarei, Khamis Masharawi, Karim Satoum, Muhammad Al-Sharif, Mustafa Al-Nabih, Mustafa Kullab, Nida’a Abu Hasna, N
- Producer
- Rashid Masharawi, Laura Nikolov
- Production Company
- Masharawi Fund for films & filmmakers in Gaza, Coorigines Production / Co-producer: Metafora Production
About the Director
Rashid Masharawi is a self-taught filmmaker born and raised in a Gaza Strip refugee camp. He is one of the first Palestinian directors to shoot movies in the occupied territories. All his films, starting with his first feature 'Curfew' (1990) and then 'Haifa' (1996), which was the first Palestinian movie officially selected at Cannes, receive regular international selections, awards, and broadcasting. They reflect, with irony, daily Palestinian life and are studied in many universities. In 1996, he founded the Cinema Production and Distribution Center to develop Palestinian cinema through workshops, training, a children's festival, and mobile cinema. Many Palestinian filmmakers who have international careers have attended this institution. He still pursues this goal by training new generations of directors and never stops creating. Even during the corona lockdowns, he filmed neighbours in 'Diary of Gabrielle Street.' He is currently post-producing his new feature film 'Passing Dreams.'