This year’s Fatima Mernissi commemoration focuses on the Israeli war in Gaza and Lebanon, while honoring the work of Jocelyne Saab. Saab was a pioneering Lebanese filmmaker whose work bridged art, journalism, and activism. With a deep commitment to documenting the Palestinian struggle, her films gave a voice to the marginalized and displaced. This tribute explores her powerful legacy through three of her most impactful short films.
This evening, we will explore three of her short films, each offering a unique perspective: one through the lens of women, another through the eyes of children, and a third from the viewpoint of the men of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Together, these films encourage reflection on the complexities of conflict and the powerful role of art in preserving lived experiences and recording history for future generations.
Les Femmes Palestiniennes
Jocelyne Saab, 1974, 16′
In Arabic with English subtitles
Palestinian women, often forgotten victims of the Israeli-Palestinian war, are given a voice in Jocelyne Saab’s film. The film was commissioned by Antenne 2 (France), which censored it while it was still in the editing stage and never showed it.
Les Enfants de la Guerre
Jocelyne Saab, 1976, 11′
In Arabic with English subtitles
Days after the Karantina massacre in a predominantly Muslim shanty town in Beirut, Jocelyne Saab met children who’d escaped, and who were deeply traumatised by the horrific fighting they’d seen with their own eyes. She gave them crayons and encouraged them to draw while her camera filmed. She made a bitter discovery: the only games the children engaged in were war games, and the war would quickly become a way of life for them as well.
Le Bateau de l’Exil
Jocelyne Saab, 1982, 12′
In Arabic with English subtitles
After living clandestinely in Beirut to escape the Israeli forces, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Yasser Arafat, left Lebanon aboard the Atlantis for a new exile in Greece and then Tunis. He talks about his destiny and the future of the PLO. Saab was the only journalist with a camera admitted on the boat.
The film program will be introduced by Wouter Hessels (Film historian RITCS), Iman Lechkar and Mohanad Yacubi (filmmaker, involved in the restoration of Jocelyne Saab’s films) and followed by a conversation with Omar Jabary Salamanca, a political scientist specializing in Palestine, archiving, and documenting colonial violence, Hadil Alramli, a Palestinian-Belgian producer, journalist, filmmaker, and researcher in art and social sciences and Flora Woudstra Hablé, coordinator Cinema RITCS.
This event is part of Frames of Resistance, a series of film screenings that highlights the important contributions of Arab film producers, particularly their gendered perspectives on the Palestinian question. This year’s program makes a vital connection to Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and Lebanon, amplifying voices that shed light on Israeli colonization, violence, and the resilience of Palestinian men, women, and children.
The film series is presented by VUB Crosstalks, the VUB Fatima Mernissi Chair, VUB Palestine Solidarity Network and Cinema RITCS.
More infos: https://crosstalks.net/event/frames-of-resistance-jocelyne-saab