Set against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, these three films are united by an insistence on creating life under conditions designed to destroy it. Whether tending the land, building new technologies of care, or performing for children, they present creation not as an escape from genocide, but as a refusal to let it define the limits of Palestinian life.

Screened as part of Falastin Film Festival (27—30 August).

About the films

Woroud Alqassas: Seeds & Roots

Here, where gunpowder is mixed with soil, Seba kneels to cleanse the soil from the ashes of war, watering it with her small cup trying to revive memories buried in the seeds. Besides her stands her grandfather, Abu Diaa, his voice is rough as the land, rooted like an old olive tree. He knows the land and the land knows him. He teaches her that planting is a promise of life despite all forms of death. Together, they help their land to breathe again, each green leaf they grow together becomes a new birth certificate.

Maria Marone: Rendered In Light

When Mosab, a skilled software engineer, is separated from his wife and children as they evacuate Gaza for emergency medical care, he’s left behind with only uncertainty and a laptop. Alone in a city under siege, he begins building something extraordinary: a virtual reality program designed to help survivors of genocide cope with mental trauma. As genocide rages around him, Mosab immerses himself in creating digital worlds of calm and reflection. The film follows his journey as he balances the emotional weight of his own loneliness with a relentless drive to serve others. Through acts of kindness and innovation, he finds a way to preserve his own mental health, turning grief into action, and despair into purpose.

Mai Saad + Ahmed Al Danaf: One More Show

Amidst the devastation of the genocide carried by Israel in Gaza, a group of circus performers refuse to let despair take center stage. One More Show follows The Free Gaza troupe; Youssef, Batout, Ismail, Mohamed and Just, after being displaced from northern to southern Gaza , as they turn their craft into an act of defiance, resilience, and hope. As death hovers in the background, the troupe performs for children in shelters and on the streets, offering moments of joy in the darkest of times.

After the screenings there will be a Q+A with the directors.