ALFILM SHORTS: On Militarization

Followed by a talk with Yazan Rabee (director of Back)

Back / العودة
Yazan Rabee, Syria/Netherlands, 2023, 7 min, AR, with EN st.

Who Loves The Sun / من يُحب الشمس
Arshia Shakiba , Syria/Canada, 2024, 20 min, AR, with EN st.

Apoléon / أبوليون
Amir Youssef, Egypt/France, 2024, 14 min, AR, with EN st.

The Watchman / الحارس
Ali Cherri, Lebanon/France/Italy, 2024, 26 min, Turkish, with EN st.

An Orange From Jaffa / برتقالة من يافا
Mohammed Almughanni, Palestine, 2024, 26 min, AR, with EN st.

From Bonaparte’s campaigns in Egypt to American oil interests in Northern Syria, the colonization of Arab lands has taken different forms across centuries. This rich collection of short films spanning eras and geographies highlights how militarization shapes not only the land and the mind but the very experience of time itself through different filmic approaches. Together, they paint a poetic tale not devoid of the spirit of resilience against a reality of increased securitization, land grabs, and dispossession. (AF)

Yazan Rabee is a Syrian filmmaker based in the Netherlands whose work spans fiction and documentary, often delving into themes of trauma, memory, and resilience inspired by his personal journey of displacement.