Scenes of the Occupation from Gaza

The film documents the Israeli occupation’s repressive actions against Palestinian citizens in Gaza and showcases examples of the Palestinian people’s resistance to the occupation forces. Abu Ali discovers a revolutionary cinematic language that captures the emotions of the individuals being filmed.

A rare film by the legendary filmmaker Mustafa Abu Ali, one of the founders of the Palestine Film Unit, the first film arm of the Palestinian revolution. Shot by a French news team, the footage was edited by Mustafa in Lebanon to produce one of the earliest films on the occupied territory in Gaza. Scenes of the Occupation from Gaza employs experimental editing techniques to create a cinematically and politically subversive film. The film won the prize as best film at the Damascus Film Festival in 1973 and was screened at multiple festivals. It was the only film produced by the Palestine Cinema Group, which in 1974 became the Palestine Cinema Institute.


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