Gaza – The second edition of the Gaza International Festival for Women’s Cinema opened today, Monday, 26 October, under the slogan “Women Who Make Life from Death,” at the destroyed Al-Nakheel Hall in Al-Bureij. The opening ceremony was attended by a gathering of intellectuals, writers, community figures, and a large female audience. The event also marked the official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy and featured the screening of five films by women directors from Gaza.nnThe ceremony began with the Palestinian national anthem, followed by a speech by the festival’s founder and president, Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh, who announced the opening of the second edition and welcomed the attendees. He thanked filmmaker and producer Mai Masri and the Academy’s founding partners: Kaouther Ben Hania, Annemarie Jacir, Saleh Bakri, Graziela Beidasheim, Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, and Alaa Karkouti. He also expressed his gratitude to the festival team and everyone who helped bring this initiative to life despite displacement, loss, and severe resource constraints.nnA promotional video documenting the training experience was then screened, followed by a speech from filmmaker and producer Mai Masri, who congratulated the organizers on the opening of the festival and the launch of the Academy. She expressed her pride in working alongside Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh to supervise an eight-month filmmaking course involving 25 female trainees from Gaza. She paid tribute to the instructors from Gaza and abroad who contributed to the training, including volunteers, emphasizing how much she had learned from this enriching experience and expressing her pride in the cinematic talents emerging from Gaza.nnThe official launch of the Gaza Cinema Academy was then announced, and the launch torch was lit by the “Women Who Make Life from Death” team, with Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh participating in the ceremony. The moment celebrated the continuation of efforts to train emerging filmmakers, support their development, and help them produce their films.nnFollowing the screening of a promotional video featuring the films, Faten Zuhair Harb, a member of the municipal council, delivered a speech on behalf of women, highlighting the importance of cinema in documenting the suffering of Palestinian women and conveying their voices to the world.nnHarb noted that women are no longer merely the subjects of stories but have become their creators, transforming pain into a humanitarian message that affirms their right to life, dignity, and safety. She also praised Dr. Ezzaldeen Shalh’s efforts in organizing the festival, emphasizing that women’s cinema preserves the Palestinian story as a living memory and serves as a voice for truth and hope.nnHarb’s speech was followed by a performance by the artistic troupe, after which the opening film screenings began. The programme featured five films: “Soso: The Lifeline,” directed by Kawthar Mounir; “A Sack of Flour,” directed by Mona Abu Qus; “Remnants of Light,” directed by Hanadi Abu Salah; “Beyond Silence,” directed by Raghda Al-Buhaysi; and “Dandana,” directed by Israa Abu Jiyab. The films were produced as part of the training programme at the Gaza Cinema Academy.nnThe festival’s activities will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, at 3:30 p.m. at the destroyed Al-Nakheel Hall in Al-Bureij, behind Abu Asi Station and opposite Aideen Camp. The festival will continue until 31 October.
