The river to the sea collective is bringing the voices of Gaza residents to Vancouver. At 6 p.m. on Thursday (October 17), the collective will present Part 1 of From Ground Zero. It’s a series of 22 short films initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi. These screenings will take place at the Norm Theatre (6138 Student Union Blvd. #130) on UBC’s Point Grey campus.
The Masharawi Fund for Films & Filmmakers in Gaza launched From Ground Zero to encourage Gazans to document their experiences since October 7.
According to the United Nations, there were 41,615 direct Palestinian deaths from violence in Gaza from October 7, 2023 to October 1, 2024. Israel’s massacre came in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack on civilians. This killed more than 1,200 people, including hundreds at an outdoor music festival. Another 254 people in Israel at the time were taken hostage.
“In a context where artistic creation is more than complex, this project has captured a diversity of perspectives through a 112-minute film in two parts, made up of 22 short films between 3 and 6 minutes,” the collective states. “These intimate stories explore a range of genres, from fiction to documentary to animation, all share in the verité richness and dangers of daily life, surviving on the ground in Gaza.”
Part 1 of From Ground Zero will feature the following films: “Selfies” (Reema Mahmoud), “No Signal” (Muhammad Al Sharif), “Sorry Cinema” (Ahmed Hassouna), “Flashback, Islam” (Al Zeriei), “Echo” (Mustafa Kolab), “Everything is Fine” (Nadal Damo), “Soft Skin” (Khamis Masharawi), “The Teacher” (Tamer Nijim), “A School Day” (Ahmed Al-Danaf), and “Overburden” (Alaa Islam Ayoub).
Part 2 of Ground Zero scheduled on November 28
Several speakers will also make short presentations before the Thursday film screenings. They include Mohanad Abwah, who organized a student encampment at UBC, and Alia Hijaab from a community library at UBC that fosters horizontal dialogue with the Middle East–North Africa region.
In addition, Artists 4 Palestine will discuss the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement to try to force Israel to comply with international law.
Part 2 of the From Ground Zero screenings will take place at the same location on November 28. According to the river to the sea collective, there are no reservations. However, there is a suggested donation of $10 (or less if need be), with proceeds going to Palestine and Lebanon relief.
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