- Title: Gazans wish for real cinema as film festival kicks off
- Date: 5th December 2019
- Summary: GAZA CITY, GAZA (DECEMBER 4, 2019) (REUTERS) OUTDOOR SCREEN SHOWING FILM DURING FESTIVAL BILLBOARD READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH 'Red Carpet' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) RED CARPET HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL SPOKESMAN, SAUD ABU RAMADAN, SAYING: "We chose this location outside this cinema to send a message that we in the Gaza Strip do not have cinemas, but 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, and when the Palestinian people live in security, safety, peace, stability and dignity." SECURITY GUARD WALKING BETWEEN ROWS OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS FILM BEING SCREENED CHILD CRYING WHILE WATCHING DOCUMENTARY 'GAZA' SCREEN SHOWING SCENES OF DOCUMENTARY 'GAZA' AUDIENCE WATCHING
- 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: LVA001B8P9AVP
- 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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