At the Biennial Documentary conference my colleague Janice Abo Ganis and I presented our pilot documentary project about Palestinian Resistance Music. A Work In Progress.
There is an unique human desire in all people for freedom, love and hope that is often expressed through music and dance in a manner that is universal and life affirming. Music is a way of expressing the ideas and thoughts, traditions and meanings of life within a culture. In particular, the people of Palestine have a history of reaction through protest songs. They are a form of expression that appear to be passive but are in fact instrumental in mobilizing and informing the people.

By filming the lives and the voices of the inhabitants of Palestine and the Palestinian Diaspora, we will gain an understanding of why they sing of “return”, “their homeland”, of “victory”, “their survival as a people” and their profound sense of grief for the death and destruction that has been visited on them as a people. Their music indeed reflects their hopes for the future and their belief in the enduring traditions of the past. The representation of the music will include traditional and contemporary musical forms.

This rich musical exposè reveals the passionate voice of the Palestinian people. We hear the haunting sounds of traditional Arabic instruments: the Ney, the Qanun and the Oud, in harmony with songs of resistance. An unprecedented exploration of Palestinian protest music and dance which features the treasured singular voice of the traditional village singer, Jawaher Shofani; the warm melodic tones of the banished maestro of folk, Mustafa al Kurd and the youthful sound of Arab rap calling the world. The unforgettable Rim Banna sings her ballads of resistance for the children of the occupation. The youth of Sarayett Rammallah Troupe for Performance and Dance and El Fanoun Palestinian Popular Dance Troupe perform for their futures, they believe in the enduring richness and vibrancy of their artistic heritage.