The films of the Palestine Liberation Organization Media Unit, which were supposed to represent a self-determined image of Palestinian reality, « disappeared » during the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982. In this « road movie » from Palestine to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, director Azza el-Hassan follows contradictory and confusing clues as to the whereabouts of the lost archive. Though Azza’s search for the lost films leads her down various dead ends, she is confronted with new clues and starts to construct her own story.


by Azza el-Hassan. Palestine/Germany, 2004. 62 min



Writer: Azza el-Hassan
Producer: Meike Martens, Heino Deckert
Cinematographers: Pascale Granel, Marc Lambert, Azza el-Hassan
Editors: Gladys Joujou, Octavio Iturte, Philip Scheffner
Sound: Moncef Taleb, Hanna Abu She’deh, Ibrahim Shishani
Music: Philip Scheffner, Lili Boniche, Rabih Abou-Khalil

Print Source:
Deckert Distribution


FESTIVALS / AWARDS

2005 | CinemaEast Film Festival | November 4-10, 2005 | www.arteeast.org/cinemaeast/filmfest_05/fest05-films/iraqweneverparted.html |
* Selection

2005 | It’s All True Int. Documentary Film Festival Rio de Janeiro / Sao Paulo | SAO PAULO, Brazil
* Selection

2004 | Seoul Independent Documentary Film Festival | SEOUL, Corea
* Selection

A search for the lost PLO film archive which was supposed to show a self-determined image of Palestinian reality, ends in various dead ends. As she searches, the director finds herself confronted with a new image and so she starts to construct her own story.

The films of the PLO Media Unit were supposed to show a self-determined image of Palestinian reality – and they went missing during the Israeli invasion of Beirut in 1982.

In a « road-movie » from Palestine to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, the director Azza El-Hassan follows the contradicting and confusing clues as to the whereabouts of the lost archive. The increasingly absurd search finally leads her to a martyr’s graveyard, where the films are said to be buried – but no one really wants to dig over the whole place.

While Azza’s search for lost images leads her down various dead ends, she is confronted with new clues and starts to construct her own story.

The film reflects the situation in the Middle East – a failed revolution, the problematic relationship with the Arab neighbours, the question of a Palestinian identity today.

Azza El-Hassan shows myths, life stories and life lies, the personal effects of defeat and loss. She even brings some humour to the tragedy of the situation – to which she simultaneously feels a sense of belonging and opposition.

Country of production
Palestine / Germany

Director
Azza El Hassan

Year of production
2004

Format
DigiBeta

Length
59 and 62 min


Production
ma.ja.de. Filmproduktion in co-production with Yamama, WDR/ARTE and BBC in association with YLE TV2 and 03 productions.


Festivals:
Seoul Independent Documentary Film Festival 2004
It’s All True Int. Documentary Film Festival Rio de Janeiro / Sao
Paulo 2005