I am from Palestine (2023)
Origin: USA | Fiction | Director: Iman Zawhary | 6 minutes
As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn't include her homeland.
The award-winning animation short “I Am From Palestine” has recently been made available to the public, accessible to watch for free for the first time ever via YouTube. Directed by Iman Zawahry and co-written by Zawahry and Rifk Ebeid, “I Am From Palestine” has been made accessible because its creators see it as a tool and resource in amplifying Palestinian voices and the Palestinian narrative (via Instagram).
“The ongoing genocide in Palestine has mobilized people of conscience around the world to amplify Palestinian voices and educate themselves and their networks about the plight of Palestinians for liberation from Israeli settler colonial oppression,” the filmmakers said in a statement late last week. “To help serve as a resource and educational tool during this critical time in our history, we have decided to end our festival run and make our award-winning short animation, ‘I Am From Palestine,’ available to the public.”
The statement continued by saying that while the film has a young protagonist, it is intended for viewers of all ages. This is “to convey the resilience of the Palestinian spirit and the importance of uplifting our children, instilling in them strength and confidence in their identity, and teaching them to always speak truth to power.”
The synopsis of “I Am From Palestine” is as follows: As Saamidah, a young Palestinian American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn’t include her homeland (via Ebeid’s website).
“I Am From Palestine” is based on Ebeid’s picture book “Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine.” It was illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari, who also served as the key animator on the film. Just like in the short film, Saamidah asks her Baba about her name and embarks on a journey that brings her beloved homeland to life, celebrating the richness of her cultural heritage.
Prior to being pulled from the festival circuit, “I Am From Palestine” had been an official selection at 12 different festivals following its debut at the RiverRun International Film Festival this past April. Most recently, the film won the Will Vinton Award at the Portland Film Festival on Oct. 22. The filmmakers found the victory meaningful at this time. In a statement, they said that, “[We] are honored that our animation won the Will Vinton Award at the Portland Film Festival, recognizing the importance of hearing Palestinian voices and spotlighting Palestinian narratives. Will Vinton is known as being the pioneer of stop-motion pictures and helped transform the world of animation … For as long as we are subjected to the shackles of the Israeli settler colonial regime and all the abhorrent violence that comes with it, we will continue to raise our voices and tell our stories and educate the world that we exist.”
Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAujeFizTi4
View trailer