Dancing Palestine
To dance is to remember, to dance is to remind. As the Palestinian identity continues to be threatened with erasure, Palestinians turn to their folk dance, the dabke, as an homage to their history and culture, and to assert their existence. Dancing Palestine is a documentation of this embodiment of collective memory, as those who piece together a dabke choreography, piece together their identities, too. Together with the film — a performance in itself — the dabke is a testament to Palestinians’ deep love of life, and thus their need to contribute to the archive of Palestine, so that it continues to live on in the present.
Lamees Almakkawy obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and New Media from New York University Abu Dhabi, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Documentary by Practice from University College London. Her interests lie in the intersection of documentary and fiction filmmaking, with a focus on identity, performance, collective and individual memory, and coming-of-age stories. Her films have screened in festivals including Open City Documentary Festival, Aesthetica Short Film Festival, Sheffield DocFest, DokuFest, BlackStar Film Festival, and Woodstock Film Festival. Her latest film, Dancing Palestine, received a Special Mention at Sheffield DocFest 2024.
Film translated by: Yara Osman
UK/Palestine, 2024, 37’
Director: Lamees Almakkawy
