Set almost entirely inside a cramped apartment during the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, this film takes place over the course of one night. Five Palestinians—a wounded man, an aid worker, an older couple, and a suspicious stranger—become trapped together during an all-night attack. As their political divisions become apparent and intolerances rise to the surface, each questions the others, interrogating their motivations and dismissing their life experiences even in the face of their shared predicament. Portraying belief and ideology as irreconcilable differences, Writing on Snow offers a metaphor for solidarity in the region through a situation where a lack of acceptance weakens resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Screening with short film:
One Minute
Through both experimental and narrative filmmaking, One Minute reimagines the last moments of a 37-year-old mother’s life as she shelters herself and her daughter from Israel’s intensive strike on Gaza’s Shuja‘iya neighborhood. The film depicts one woman’s story from the thousands killed during the war on Gaza in the summer of 2014.
Director: Dina Nasser | Narrative | Runtime: 11 mins | 2015 | Language: Arabic, English Subtitles | Minnesota Premiere
Sponsors
TWIN CITIES ARAB FILM FESTIVAL
Mizna presents the thirteenth Twin Cities Arab Film Festival in partnership with the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul. The Arab Film Fest showcases modern Arab cinema, featuring debut screenings of independent narrative, documentary, and experimental features and shorts.