- Title: Gazans wish for real cinema as film festival kicks off
- Date: 5th December 2019
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (DECEMBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) POSTER OF 'GAZA' DOCUMENTARY EXTERIOR OF THE CLOSED 'AMER' CINEMA PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE CINEMA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) WRITER, MAHMOUD ROUKA, SAYING: "(What is beautiful) is if these cinemas including 'Amer Cinema' will reopen. There is a huge difference between watching a film on a big screen inside a cinema or watching a film on a white screen through a video projector." PEOPLE LAYING OUT RED CARPET RESIDENTS OF GAZA WALKING ON RED CARPET MAN TAKING VIDEO DURING FESTIVAL PEOPLE DURING THE SHOW PROJECTOR IRON BARS AND A BANNER READING (English) 'Red Carpet' FROM BEHIND
- Embargoed: 19th December 2019 15:41
- Keywords: Film Gaza Art Festival
- Location: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- City: GAZA CITY, GAZA
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA005B8P9AVP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: For some Gazans, going to the cinema is something they only heard about but never experienced.
Tens of Gazans showed up to attend the opening of the Red Carpet Human Rights film festival on Wednesday (December 4).
With a red carpet rolled out and artists taking part, the screening took place near a cinema that had been shut down since the 2000 Palestinian uprising.
Organisers of the festival say the goal is to raise awareness of hardship in the Gaza Strip, home to almost two million Palestinians.
"We really want to open a cinema one day in the Gaza strip. But these cinemas can only be opened after they lift the sanctions on the Gaza strip," said Red Carpet Human Rights Film Festival Spokesman Saud Abu Ramadan.
Emotions ran high as the audience watched the tale of 'Gaza', a film by Irish directors Andrew McConnell and Garry Keane, which documents the lives of residents of the enclave.
"It's a very special moment for me to come to Gaza, and to show the film here for the first time. We have shown this film all over the world this year but this is the most special screening because we did this is for the people of Gaza to show the ordinary life to show how special life is in Gaza," Andrew Mconnell said.
Around 250 people attended the opening of the week-long film festival, which is scheduled to show 45 documentaries.
(Production: Roleen Tafakji, Arafat Barbakh, Nehad Khalil, Abed Shanna) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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