Join us for a special film screening of Ibrahim Handal's A Short Film About Kids, followed by Michel Khleifi's Tale of the Three Jewels.
A Short Film About Kids
10 minutes (2023)
Four children from a refugee camp in Bethlehem yearn to see the sea for the first time. Facing restrictions and living under difficult circumstances, they embark on a journey driven by sheer imagination and determination. Their adventure becomes a symbol of resilience, capturing the spirit of children who, despite their realities, hold on to hope and the simple joys of life.
Tale Of The Three Jewels
1h 52m (1995)
Yussef, a twelve-year old Palestinian, is a child of the Intifada: while his father is in prison and his brother a fugitive from the Israeli army, he lives alone with his mother and sister. Even though his life is constantly marked by violence, he lives in his imagination, often escaping from the refugee-camps to the Gaza country-side. One day, as he is bird-hunting, he becomes the hero of a modern-day tale: he falls in love with Aida, a young gypsy girl who is the "leader" of a group of children. In order to marry her, Yussef must first find the three jewels missing from a family necklace, brought from South America by the girl's grand-father.
How can Yussef reach such a distant continent? His quest, woven into the daily lives of the people of Gaza, will lead him to his death and at the same time to his resurrection thanks to a wise old man who recites to him the enigmatic words inscribed on a manuscript which Yussef must first find and then throw into a desert well... It is thus that Yussef not only discovers the three jewels but also life and its meaning.
Special thank you to the support of Open City Documentary Film Festival for this event.
This screening is part of the Palestinian Childhoods: Solidarity and Ṣumūd exhibition and events programme.
As young Palestinians remind the world: “We are not numbers.” This exhibition responds to their insights, seeking to witness and convey
Palestinian children’s struggle for everyday life, love, play and learning in the face of loss and brutality.
The two-week programme offers an exhibition of artworks by Palestinian artists and a collection of letters from the Letters for Palestinian Childhoods project alongside events, immersive experiences and ways to participate.
Exhibition Open Daily 10.00am – 4.00pm
Opening event: 1 September | 4:00 - 6:00 PM | UCL East, Marshgate | Book here.
Full programme of events available on our website.