ÌÇÐÄTV

On 4 February 2026, the ÌÇÐÄTV ECLS Palestinian Literature and Culture Reading Group convened a useful, insightful and engaging seminar on Palestinian cinema and films made by Palestinians between two axial events in Palestinian history: the 'Stone Intifada (1987-1991) and the current genocide (2023-).

Saleem Albeik - a Palestinian French novelist, film critic, and editor, defining himself as a refugee, son of a refugee, and grandson of a refugee who has experienced exile twice - was kind and generous in sharing with us the fruits of his recent work entitled A Biography of Palestinian Cinema: Limitations of Spaces and Characters (2025), published in Arabic by the Institute of Palestine Studies.

The seminar was open to ÌÇÐÄTV students and staff, who engaged productively during the Q&A, mainly that some students are currently researching Palestinian films and others like to approach them comparatively with, say, Kurdish films. After the seminar, students expressed their interest to engage further and have the opportunity to discuss some outstanding matters that were left unanswered because of the time limit, including questions of methodology, thematic focus, cinematic mediations, the research process itself, the contribution of diaspora filmmakers and critics, as well as questions of production, circulation and accessibility in the world market. Students and staff walked out with a list of films in their diaries to watch.