Voices from Gaza: University of Minnesota film series examines life on the Gaza Strip amid Israel-Hamas war
By Myah Goff,
1 days ago
Three highlights of this weekend’s Twin Cities art scene: A lecture and film screening at the University of Minnesota will examine how Gazan filmmakers have portrayed life under Israeli occupation. The Twin Cities Book Festival returns with more than 140 exhibitors, featuring Minnesota authors, some of whose topics range from African womanhood to the Indigenous Rarámuri peoples’ resistance. And North Hennepin Community College will showcase the works of a Black queer Minneapolis artist who has explored themes of love, death and West African culture.
“Vibrations from Gaza” focuses on deaf children living in the confines of Gaza and will be featured at the University of Minnesota’s Matar Family Lecture. Credit: Rehab Nazzal
U of M lecture and screening explore film as an element of resistance
With the Israel-Hamas war killing more than 40,000 people in Gaza and displacing hundreds of thousands since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, guest lecturer and author Nadia Yaqub will address the surge of violent imagery that has circulated in media channels.
In her 2023 book “Gaza on Screen,” inspired by a film festival she curated in 2018, Yaqub, along with collaborators, investigated how various media outlets—Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli—have depicted Gaza.
Yaqub’s research indicates that while more Palestinian filmmakers are sharing their stories, fundamental approaches to Gaza’s representation have persisted. “The Gaza Strip was born out of the 1948 war and it has always carried the reputation of being overcrowded, an open-air prison and one of the most densely populated places on Earth,” she said.
The event will showcase two films that explore Palestinian life under siege. “Vibrations From Gaza,” directed by Palestinian-Canadian filmmaker Rehab Nazzal , focuses on deaf children living in the confines of Gaza. The film uses sound—or the absence of it—to create a vibrational soundscape that reflects their daily experience. “There’s a lot of sign language and subtitles, but no speech or music,” Yaqub said. “The children talk about the effect of sound, like bombings, on their bodies.”
“Offing,” directed by Oraib Toukan, challenges traditional visual representations of Palestinian suffering by presenting an eclectic mix of images taken outside of Gaza, alongside music and a voiceover from a Gaza-based artist recounting his experience during the 2021 Israel-Hamas conflict .
“There’s a lot of criticism of the humanitarian image because they emphasize the difference between someone who is the victim of violence and the distant spectators, you and I, who are relatively comfortable and safe, looking at these images,” Yaqub said. “They don’t represent Palestinian people as full human beings. They only emphasize their need and dispossession. So I’m investigating the efficacies of circulating these kinds of images and how we should treat them, as distant spectators.”
Yaqub reflected on the uncertain future of Palestinian filmmaking: “We’re at such a crossroads in terms of what the future of Palestine is going to be,” she said. “Is it going to just continue until every single Palestinian is dead or kicked out, or will it be a different, better outcome?”
Date: Friday, October 18
Time: Lecture at 4 p.m. Reception at 5:30 p.m. Screening at 7 p.m.
Location: The lecture will be held at 412 Pillsbury Hall, 310 Pillsbury Drive SE., Minneapolis. The reception and screening will be held at 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis.
2018 Twin Cities Book Festival Credit: Jennifer Simonson
From poetry to prose: Twin Cities Book Festival spotlights Minnesota authors
The annual Twin Cities Book Festival returns to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Saturday, featuring local and national authors, publishers, literary organizations and more than 140 exhibitors.
The festival will host designated stages for youth and comics. The Picture Book Showcase and Young Adult Showcase will feature authors such as Shannon Gibney , Kao Kalia Yang and Anton Treuer , highlighting diverse voices in children’s and young adult literature.
Interactive activities will allow young participants to create jellyfish hand puppets and solve tangram puzzles. Another event will encourage children to write “commitment to vote” statements and to envision their election speeches with Artika Tyner, author of the children’s book “Kwame Votes.”
Aforo, who began his studies at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and later earned a master’s degree in fine arts from Mills College in Oakland, California, blends photo-realism and impressionism in his oil paintings. His pieces explore themes of nature, love, death, West African matriarchal culture and Buddhist spiritual traditions.
Aforo also produces music under the name Lines of Hour. His latest album, “The Divine Spark,” released in 2023, reflects the fictional character Alphonso Mango’s journey to break free from societal pressures.
Date: Through November 9.
Time: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Location: North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave. N., Brooklyn Park
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