Rasmi Damo, a Palestinian artist and filmmaker living in France, called his brother – stand up comedian Nidal Damo – in Gaza. He had an idea for connecting with his family & friends who are still there, just surviving. Damo suggested to Nidal that they make short films, on their phones, of their lives in Gaza. His idea was to capture their daily existence.
At first Nidal baulked. He told Rasmi that “All day we are running to find food, shelter, we have no time even to breathe. We cannot make films”.
Without telling him, Damo’s brother started filming anyway. When they spoke again, Nidal thanked Damo, saying he had been “given something to do instead of waiting for our children to die “.
More “filmmakers” became involved, only a handful being professional artists. Using mostly phones, people of different ages, men and women, began documenting and creating. Eventually 22 short films, each only a few minutes long, were made. Put together by renowned Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, the 22 short films made by Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023 became From Ground Zero.
There was zero budget. Originally, there was no aim for the end result of the project, other than to uplift the people doing the work, to give themselves purpose and meaning, and to communicate their lives to Damo and other Palestinians living abroad, suffering the images of war being sent via news outlets.
Damo’s NGO Fekra France Association did the editing in France, working closely with the filmmakers still situated in Gaza, to ensure the production of a high quality film while maintaining the authentic voices of the makers.
However, the film came to the attention of people outside the project. It has been supported by The Masharawi Fund, who “empower Gaza filmmakers through financial support and training, enabling them to convey their stories through cinema. It also aims to help filmmakers to express their narratives, emotions, and dreams, building bridges with diverse communities around the world”.
In addition, Michael Moore – American filmmaker, author, and political activist best known for his controversial documentaries that address major social issues in the United States – became executive producer of the final project. The film, titled From Ground Zero, became Palestine’s entry to this year’s Academy Awards®, and was recently voted by the members of the Motion Picture Academy for this year’s Oscar shortlist for Best International Feature – one of only 15 films to do so.
Using a mix of genres, including fiction, documentary, docu-fiction and animation, each short film presents a unique perspective on the reality of life in Gaza, capturing the diverse experiences of the Palestinian enclave.
In experimental fiction work “Charm” by Bashar Al-Balbeisi, when a girl loses members of her dance group, she begins a journey to search for them and communicate with them spiritually. “Awakening” by Mahdi Karira films a Marionnette performance story. A flash drive and a letter sealed inside a bottle and thrown into the sea capture a woman’s attempt to not lose herself in the wreckage of war in Reema Mahmoud’s “Selfies”. A number of documentaries show how people are coping and surviving in the destruction. A girl puts on headphones to drown out the noise of bombings, and dances. A displaced teacher has a daily journey from one queue to the next, struggling to secure his most basic needs. “Echo” captures the physical and metaphorical darkness enshrouding Gaza.
In Moore’s words: “In a brisk and powerful one hour and fifty-two minutes, [the film] weaves together 22 short films made by 22 courageous Palestinian filmmakers living and surviving in Gaza over this past year…These are stories not being told anywhere. You do not see these stories on the evening news.”
From Ground Zero and the work of Rasmi Damo have been the cornerstones of The Palestinian Art Festival this week. Through their work, the not-for-profit organization hopes to channel the sadness of the ongoing conflict in Palestine into something more productive, in addition to raising funds and promoting awareness of life in Gaza, centering on the people’s resilience and resistance.
Click here to see the trailer of From Ground Zero
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The final screening of “From Ground Zero” in Nairobi will be Wednesday 22 January at Century Cinemax in Two Rivers Mall. Tickets are available on mookh.com