a magical screening, thirty years after the cinemas closed

2023-08-19 10:26:30

By Le Figaro with Reuters

Posted yesterday at 09:00, Updated yesterday at 10:26

The show was meant to promote culture and history issues, endorsed by the conservative Islamist Hamas government. Xinhua/ABACA

The open-air spectacle was for many viewers the first experience of a movie being shown on the big screen, as the last cinema in Gaza closed its doors more than thirty years ago.

With car tires, rocks and mounds of sand as seats, Palestinians of all ages enjoyed a rare trip to the movies on August 10 at a big-screen event on the Gaza waterfront. . The outdoor show – including children’s cartoon Ferdinand – was for many viewers the first experience of a film screening since the last cinema in Gaza closed over thirty years ago.Organized by ‘The Sea is Ours’ cafe, the screenings were intended to promote culture and history issues endorsed by the conservative Islamist government of Hamas.

«I hope one day there will be a cinema, so I can go there and eat popcornsaid Mohammad Zidan, 13, as other children lay in the sand laughing at the cartoon.

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Cinema used to flourish in Gaza. Palestinians flocked to see Arab, Western and Asian films. But the halls were burned down during the first Intifada in 1987, then again in 1996 during a wave of internal violence. The last cinema, long abandoned, is now a refuge for bats. And while residents of Gaza have been able to attend screenings held from time to time in theaters or other venues, it is rare for such a comprehensive lineup of films, spread over several weeks, to be offered. “We can watch movies on our cellphones, but it’s something new and nicesaid Hadeel Hejji, 15. Ali Mhana, 35, owns a cafe and is a local playwright. The Palestinian said he had never been to a regular cinema. “At sea, there is no need to look for an audience. People are there all the time, including children, who are drawn to the sound and image and come to see the films“, he reported.

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