STEVEN LAPHAM
“Gaza: Still Alive” will be the first film screened by the Voices from the Holy Land’s Online Film Salon in 2022. (AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, January/February 2022, pp. 61-62
Films
VOICES FROM THE Holy Land (VFHL) is a coalition of more than 100 interfaith organizations (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Quaker and Unitarian) that began sponsoring documentary film presentations after the 2014 Israeli bombing of Gaza. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, we’ve hosted Online Film Salons. Each month, registrants receive a link allowing them to watch that month’s documentary at their convenience. Then, on a given Sunday, all registrants gather online to discuss the film with panelists. Smaller gatherings in breakout rooms wrap up the discussion.
Some past discussions of note include:
- Abby Martin wins lawsuit upholding the right to support BDS. Two months before our July 2021 viewing of Abby Martin’s film, “Gaza Fights for Freedom,” a court in Georgia ruled on a lawsuit in favor of the journalist and filmmaker, stating that supporting or promoting boycotts of Israel is constitutionally protected activity. The Georgia law is similar to others passed in more than 30 U.S. states aiming to suppress free speech in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement launched by Palestinians in 2005.
- Muna and Mohammed El-Kurd: Changing hearts and minds. We met Mohammed in the short film “Home Front: Portraits from Sheikh Jarrah” (salon of May 2020). Twins Muna and Mohammed have become the faces of a global campaign to halt Israeli efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah to make way for Jewish settlers. In September, the two were named on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
- Discussion in Delaware: “The Ruins of Lifta.” On May 20, a virtual film event was held by the Islamic Society of Central Delaware in Dover. The event, fostered by Voices from the Holy Land and a multifaith group of clergy and laity in Rehoboth Beach, was a big success. Discussion of the film “The Ruins of Lifta” (salon of October 2020) included the producer Menachem Daum, Imam Arqum Rashid and the rabbi of nearby Congregation Beth Shalom.
Our upcoming salon will focus on mental health. “Gaza: Still Alive” is the featured documentary for the Online Film Salon on Jan. 9, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. ET. Visit <www.voicesfromtheholyland.org> to register and receive a link to view the film for free. The salon will feature:
Samah Jabr, M.D., a psychiatrist and psychotherapist living in East Jerusalem who serves as the head of the Mental Health Unit within the Palestinian Ministry of Health. She is featured in the documentary film “Beyond the Front Lines,” and is a founding/steering committee member of the Palestine-Global Mental Health Network.
Harry Fear, an independent journalist and filmmaker, best known for his reporting on the European migrant crisis and his coverage from inside the Gaza Strip. He focuses on the experiences of communities and individuals stricken by conflict and oppression.
Elizabeth Berger, M.D., a child psychiatrist living in New York and a founding/steering committee member of the USA Palestine Mental Health Network. She has been involved in clinical training and program planning with colleagues in Palestine for many years.
The January 2022 VFHL Online Film Salon is co-sponsored by USA Palestine Mental Health Network, and Palestine-Global Mental Health Network.
Groups interested in organizing film screenings and discussions are encouraged to contact VFHL for help in finding the right films, obtaining screening rights and organizing the event.
This article is an excerpt from the Fall issue of the SPOTLIGHT, edited by Jamie Jackson. Request the newsletter (as well as other announcements) from VFHL at <voicesfromtheholyland.org/contact>.
—Steven Lapham
