Palestine’s History on Cinema: Nakba, 1948
OKAYAMA—Sun 1/12 @ 11:00 (max 25 ppl). Japan Premiere!
2023, 78 min. Sci-Fi Documentary. Palestine | UK | US. Co-directors: Rami Younis & Sarah Ema Friedland. Exe. Producer: Roger Waters (Co-founder of Pink Floyd). In Arabic and Hebrew w/ En and Ja subs.
A story of a city that once connected Palestine to the world — what it once was, what it is now, and what it could have become.
Made by a Palestinian from Lyd (Rami) and a Jewish American (Sarah), Lyd provides much-needed context for this moment, as it goes deep into the history of the Nakba from the perspective of Palestinians who survived. (from Icarus)
Lyd is a feature-length, speculative documentary that follows the rise and fall of Lyd – a 5,000-year-old metropolis that was once a bustling Palestinian town until it was conquered when the State of Israel was established in 1948. As the film unfolds, a chorus of characters creates a tapestry of the Palestinian experience of this city and the trauma left by the massacre and expulsion, while vivid animations envision an alternate reality where the same characters live free from the trauma of the past and the violence of the present. Using never-before-seen archival footage of the Israeli soldiers who carried out the massacre and expulsion, the personified city (narrated by Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi) explains that these events were so devastating that they fractured reality, and now there are two Lyds — one occupied and one free. As the film cuts between fantastical and documentary realities, it ultimately leaves the viewer questioning which future should prevail. Lyd dares to ask the question: what would the city be like had the Israeli occupation of Lyd never happened? (from firehouse.dctvny.org)
“This film is an important document of time and should be screened widely. What makes Lyd stand out from other documentaries on this topic is the way the filmmakers audaciously weave together different forms of storytelling.” —International Federation of Film Critics
“Ambitiously tackling perhaps the most controversial geopolitical issue in the world, and doing so in under 80 minutes, the filmmakers offer a provocative cri de coeur for a free Palestine. A difficult and unflinching film, but also as hopeful as one could be in the current climate.” –POV Magazine
“A stunning movie that changes how we understand the past and gives us a way to imagine a radically different future… a must-see film.” –Amahl Bishara, Associate Professor, Anthropology, Tufts University
Select Accolades – Jury Award for Arab Feature-Length Documentary and FIPRESCI Award from the Film Critics Association, Amman International Film Festival 2023, Middle East Now Festival 2023, Yashwant International Film Festival 2024, Reel Palestine 2024, Melbourne Science Fiction Film Festival 2024, Al Ard Film Festival 2024, Sguardi Altrove International Women’s Film Festival 2024, Palestine Film Festival in Australia 2024
Note: The Japanese subs are for Deaf and hard-of-hearing. An in-person screening at Hokancho 4-chome Lounge Kado (a small cafe) in Okayama city in mid-January 2025 (max 25 guests).