Wa'ad (2017)
Origin: Palestine | Documentary | Director: Muhammad Shalodi | 15 minutes
Muhammad Shalodi’s Wa’ad won the prize for Best Palestinian Documentary Film, exploring complex ideas of Palestinian identity and solidarity. Wa’ad, a young student at an Israeli university studying photography, and a maqdisi – a native Palestinian resident of Jerusalem.
When she enrolled in university, Wa’ad chose to remain separated from politics, but her colleagues’ sidelong glances haunt her daily. She begins to incorporate her identity into her work, until the city of Jerusalem is shaken by a political event.
After taking photos at the event, Wa’ad notices that the Occupation Forces are trailing her every move. From then on, Wa’ad retreats to demonstrating her identity indirectly through her artwork.