PAST EVENT: 15 Sept: Freedom Theatre – films and discussion from Palestine

Date: Thursday 15 Sept
Time: 5.30 – 9pm
Venue: Free Word Centre, EC1R 3GA
Tickets: Click here (valid for both parts of the evening, £5 / £3 concessions)

Index on Censorship, Article 19 and Culture + Conflict present an evening focusing on The Freedom Theatre, the extraordinarily inspirational and courageous cultural initiative based in the Jenin Refugee Camp on the West Bank.

The artistic director Juliano Mer Khamis was assassinated in Jenin on 4 April 2011, but the theatre continues its work. We are privileged to welcome film-maker Ahmad Alaraj from the Theatre, who will present Arna’s Children and a series of short films. He will appear in conversation with the new director of the Free Word Centre, Rose Fenton, co-founder and former co-director of the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT).

The evening will be in two parts, with a single ticket, which is valid for both.

5.30 – 7.00: Arna’s Children (2003, 84 min) directed by Juliano Mer Khamis and Danniel Danniel, a documentary about the children’s theatre group established by Arna Mer-Khamis, Juliano’s mother, an Israeli Jewish political and human rights activist. This moving film, which won Best Documentary Feature at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, follows the lives of Arna and the members of the theatre.

7.30 – 9.00: Ahmad Alaraj of the Freedom Theatre will present and discuss four short films about the continuing work of the Theatre today with Rose Fenton: the challenges it faces working with young people in Jenin and the transformative effect it has on their lives. There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion with Ahmad.

Food and refreshments will be available.

Palestine: Jenin Freedom Theatre faces another attack

The Freedom Theatre in Jenin’s refugee camp came under attack by the the Israel Defence Force in the early morning of 22 August. Having been notified that soldiers were surrounding the theatre, Acting General Manager Jacob Gough arrived at the scene, where he was confronted by armed soldiers. He was detained following his attempts to get closer to the theatre. A security guard was also physically attacked and his home was raided by soldiers, who reportedly fired live ammunition in an attempt to disperse the crowd that had gathered around the house. This is the third time the theatre has been targeted in the last month. In April, its general manager Juliano Mer Khamis was gunned down by an unknown assassin.

 

Palestine: Two journalists arrested by Israeli forces

On August 21, two Palestinian journalists, Usaid Abd Al Majid Amarana, of Al-Aqsa TV, and Amar Abu Urfa, a reporter for Shahab news agency, were arrested.  Both journalists were seized by Israeli soldiers in their homes. According to reports, soldiers stormed and searched Amarana’s home. During the arrest, soldiers opened fire and wounded Amarana’s cousin. Urfa’s arrest in Hebron resembled that of Amarana.

Palestine: Satirical TV show censored

The Palestinian attorney general has ordered a nightly satirical television show to be axed, following complaints from public servants and officials that they were being ridiculed. Watan ala Water (Country on a String) has become popular for its mockery of Palestinian leaders, officials, corruption, nepotism and social norms. Attorney general Ahmad Mughani said the the programme did not “serve the public interest”, was “harmful to Palestinian society” and had crossed “red lines”.