Palestine
All countries-
Israeli filmmaker Netalie Braun"There's room for everyone between the river and the sea"
What does it take to make anti-militarist cinema in a country where, as Netalie Braun puts it, the army "resides in the DNA of society"? In this interview, she discusses navigating censorship, boycotts and the challenges of imagining peace amid violence.
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Clan electionsHow families are filling Gaza’s leadership void
Amid a catastrophic institutional vacuum, extended families are assuming an unprecedented role in Gaza. Across the Strip, Palestinian clans are holding elections to ensure they are taken into account by aid organisations. Meanwhile, some have political ambitions.
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Israel and PalestineHow to talk about Zionism
Criticism of the ideology underpinning Israel's foundation remains contentious in Germany. In the US, however, a significant shift is taking place. The Zionist consensus within the Jewish community is fracturing and debate is opening up.
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Gaza’s lost booksHow to preserve what remains
In Gaza, people are working to salvage books from the ruins of libraries, while others are digitising historical texts. The first public libraries are set to reopen soon, even though many important books have been lost for good.
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Lebanese writer Hazem Saghieh"Hezbollah has never protected Lebanon from Israel"
Hazem Saghieh says that the renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah has revealed deep divisions within Lebanese society rather than fostering unity. He warns that Israel's intervention to disarm Hezbollah risks paving the way for a new occupation.
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War and memoryGaza's lost photographs
Through years of war, many people in Gaza have lost their personal photo albums. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul reflects on her family's vanished images and what their absence means for personal and collective memory.
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Palestinians in EgyptTime to return to Gaza?
In Egypt, Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza face a painful dilemma: return to their families and a devastated homeland or remain in limbo without residency. Medical needs, financial hardship and border fears make the decision fraught.
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Culture in GermanyThe politics of neutrality
This year’s Berlinale highlighted the tensions between art and supposedly neutral institutions. But state-funded cultural bodies don't operate outside politics; they set the terms of debate. Greater transparency about how boundaries are drawn could strengthen trust.
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New Arab cinemaA reality that calls for the surreal
Arab filmmakers have long adopted a social realist view of everday life. A new wave is now emerging, says Amin Farzanefar, marked by fantasy, uncanny symbols and repressed memories.
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Palinale film festival BerlinA politically engaged alternative
As the Berlinale faces renewed criticism over its handling of Palestine, a parallel festival, Palinale, returns for a second year with an expanded programme of international films, exhibitions and talks. Schayan Riaz shares impressions from its opening night.
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"Archiving Gaza" anthologyA vivid record of life before the war
"Archiving Gaza in the Present" brings together essays on Gazan art, literature, music and archaeology. By preserving the memory of a once-vibrant cultural world while confronting the scale of its loss, it stands as one of the most important recent books on Gaza.
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Traumatic mutismGaza's silent children
Two years of war have left deep scars in Gaza. Some children have lost the ability to speak as a result of trauma. A team of psychologists is using new technology to help them find their voices again.