Dancing Palestine

syno

psis

In a culture continually threatened with erasure, dancing the dabke, the traditional Palestinian folk dance, becomes an essential form of resistance for young Palestinians. This short film is a documentation of this embodiment of collective memory, as those who piece together a dabke choreography, piece together their identities as well. Together with the film, a performance in itself, the dabke is a testament to Palestinians’ deep love of life, and an act of contribution to the archive of Palestine in the present.

Director's

bio

Lamees Almakkawy is a filmmaker from the United Arab Emirates who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and New Media from New York University Abu Dhabi, and a Master of Fine Arts from University College London. Her interests lie in the intersection of documentary and fiction filmmaking, with a particular focus on identity, performance, collective and individual memory, and coming-of-age stories. She uses film as an outlet to understand what is normally unspoken-exploring the medium’s potential to unpack questions within and outside of herself. She is currently working as a digital media producer in London.