Join CPT-Palestine on 18 May 2024 for a discussion of “ضو – Light,” a documentary film exploring hope from within the oppressive grip of the Israeli occupation. The film will take you on a journey through Hebron under apartheid, and in this place “where all other elements are controlled and rationed, perhaps our light is the one thing that cannot be taken.”
This premiere launch includes an intimate conversation and backstage director’s pass with the CPT-Palestine team and film director Ahmad Abu Monshar. We will discuss the film’s themes within the current context of increasing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and the challenges faced to complete this film under strict Israeli Apartheid.
Abu Monshar explains that the film’s title “ضو – Light” was chosen as a theme to illuminate the stories of the people of Hebron and to keep the light of hope alive.
“Throughout my life, the adversary’s voice has often drowned out other narratives. However, today, in the making of this film, our intent is to change the prevailing narrative and offer survivors a poignant space to articulate their experiences, casting a powerful spotlight on two distinct stories—one from Tel Rumeida and another from South Hebron Hills,” says Abu Monshar. “In these narratives, we seek to unearth the subtle nuances of hope within the shadows of darkness. Since 1948, the narrative has predominantly favoured the Israeli story, leaving little room for those silently grappling with pain. It is now, unequivocally, the time to listen.”
The film comes at a time of dire circumstances as Palestinians are currently living through a genocide. Incessant Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has destroyed 70% of homes and killed over 35,000 Palestinians, including 13,000 children. Israel’s 16-year siege of Gaza has cut water, electricity, and aid from entering Gaza, and the entire population is being starved. In the West Bank, freedom of movement has been severely curtailed under military blockade and checkpoint closures. Israeli raids have intensified, resulting in massive arrests and 483 murders of Palestinians.
Amid the horrifying acts of violence taking place right now, the film draws on the steadfastness of decades of Palestinian resistance and a light that refuses to be extinguished. As the narrator explains near the end of the film, “What has happened today will be part of my story in the future. Maybe one day I will be sitting with grandchildren telling them my experiences of life under occupation, and what life was like then. I will tell them how I, with my community, survived a violent, apartheid system.”
CPT-Palestine continues its work with partners on the ground in Hebron in the midst of escalating violence from Israeli settlers and soldiers, documenting the visible and invisible effects of the occupation. CPT demands a ceasefire and the dismantling of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
