A Handful of earth (2009)

Origin: Unknown | Documentary | Director: Sahera Dirbas | 52 minutes

A Handful of Earth examines the role played by oral histories in maintaining the bond between Palestinian refugees and the homes from which they were driven in 1948. Taking its title from the handfuls of earth many still keep from their original villages, the film focuses on refugees from the Tirat Haifa area. Sahera Dirbas (Stranger in my Home, 138 Pounds in my Pocket) explores the oral traditions which have spanned generations to sustain the links between exiles living in Jordan, Syria, Israel, and the West Bank, and their shared homes and histories.