“A Day in the Tent” / يوم في الخيمة (Yawm fi al-khayma)
Collective work
2024, Palestine, 4’04min

Animation Stories. Stop Motion Animation Workshops Across Gaza

A charming family of 9 struggle to fulfil their daily chores whilst living in a tent city in Gaza in a time of war. Made by 19 children from the refugee camp in Deir al-Balah (displaced from Gaza City).

Bringing Emotions and Ideas to Life Through Stop Motion, with Haneen Koraz, Shorouq Darwish, Nour A-Jawad
For children, stop-motion animation is more than just a technique – it is a window into their deepest thoughts and hidden fears. Through character movement, they do more than create scenes; they release their emotions into the world – expressing joy, anger, fear, and love with delicate adjustments to facial expressions and body movements. They imagine how a character speaks, how it sounds, how it gets angry or happy, and then they translate those emotions into vibrant, living motion. With each frame, they weave stories drawn from their own experiences, making the inanimate speak and turning ideas into moving images that tell their own tales. Animation here is not just a skill; it is a new language of self-expression, a free space for profound artistic exploration.

Stills:

About the mentors
Haneen Koraz
Haneen is a Palestinian artist from Gaza working in the field of visual arts, with a focus on stop-motion animated films. Since 2012, she has led workshops in government and UNRWA schools, training children to create their own animated films. She develops creative projects with children and youth under the harsh conditions of siege and displacement, believing deeply in the power of art as a tool for expression and healing. Haneen uses simple, paper-based stop-motion techniques to document children’s everyday stories in Gaza, especially those living in camps and marginalized areas. She has co-founded artistic workshops across the Gaza Strip and has directed and coordinated several short films that have received both local and international attention. Her work aims to amplify children’s voices and express their dreams and fears through vivid, heartfelt visuals. She has participated in the annual “Theatre Days” festivals and won numerous awards in animation competitions focused on children’s and women’s rights. Haneen has received multiple art grants, including from Al-Harah Theater, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture’s Creativity Challenge Grant, Shababeek Art Platform, the French Institute, Filastiniyat, Action for Hope (Lebanon), and the Palestinian Cultural Fund. Her recent projects include producing animated films with girls with and without disabilities. In 2022, she received the Taawon Award for Excellence in the Cultural Sector. She also completed a 10-day training in Lebanon on cultural management and project leadership in crisis conditions.

Find out more:

Instagram

YouTube channel

Patreon

GoFundMe

Interview with the trainers at Zippy Frames 

Join, follow, and take action together with @AC4Pal Animation Community for Palestine that is dedicated to support Haneen, Shorouq, Nour, and other trainers

Night / ليل (layl)

Directors: Ahmad Saleh, Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh (SES-Studio, Fabian&Fred)

2021, Germany, Qatar, Palestine, Jordan, 15’57min

The dust of war keeps the eyes sleepless. Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient. Night has to trick her into sleeping to save her soul.

Language: Arabic

Recommeded for children under the age of 6: No

Technique: Puppet stop motion animation

Team:

Writer, Director, Editor: Ahmad Saleh

Producer: Jessica Neubauer, Saleh Saleh, Fabian Driehorst

Voice Actors: Mother: Hiam Abbas; Night: Rafia Al Hussein; Daughter: Salma Saleh

Art Director, DOP, Production Design: Saed Saleh

Animation: Basel Nasr, Leon Vidmar, Saleh Saleh

Music: Suad Bushnaq

Lullaby Singing: Rafia Al Hussein

Sound Design: David Black, Marcus Zilz

Sound Mix: Marcus Zilz

Script Consultant: Selina Ukwuoma

Concept Art: Sae-Yun Jung, Nara Bak, Saleh Saleh

Animatic: Basel Nasr

About Ahmad Saleh

Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/German writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh and Saed. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, the brothers made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories. Ahmad Saleh also presents an original storytelling performance Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine of which the artist says: “I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.”

Filmography:

2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’

2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’

2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’

2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh

Land Day / الأرض (Al Ard)
By Basel Nasr
2024, Palestine, 1:28 min
Stopmotion

In Palestine,
In the month of March,
In the year of the intifada,
The land told us its bloody secrets

Team:
Development and Direction: Basel Nasr
Artwork: Mohamed Bishara, Bara’ Salama, Yumna Zahran
Animation: Basel Nasr, Mohamed Bishara
Edit: Bashir Massad
Music: Dark Room by Soundside

About Basel Nasr

Basel Nasr is a Designer and Producer working in the field of Animation, Illustration and interactive design. Nasr earned a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University In 2003. In 2005 Along with a group of young artists, Nasr established ZAN Studio; a multi-discipline art studio specialized in digital art and new media, working on a range of Animation, Interactive and Visual Art projects. In 2008 he received a scholarship from HQSF to pursue his Master’s degree in Animation from the University of California Los Angeles. During his study, Nasr also had the chance to work in two companies as an Interactive Designer for tablet and online children content. After his return to Palestine in 2013, Nasr founded maṣna‘ al rusūm al mutaḥarrikah, an Animation and Interactive Studio.

Basel Nasr is one of our 2022 AFIELD fellows, based in Ramallah, Palestine. Animator, producer and trainer, Basel Nasr founded the initiative “Almasna : The Animation Factory”, in 2015 as a collaborative studio that uses animation to tell stories inspired by daily life, and create videos that help raise awareness about local issues calling for political and social change. In 2022, they also established “The Almasna Workshop”, a space for learning, experimentation and training in the field of animation. Their aim is to promote animation as an ever-evolving art form, and to help develop this art into an industry in Palestine.

Find out more: AFIELD

Meet Basel Nasr

Hide & Seek / غُميّضة (Gumaida)
Rami Abbas
2024, Palestine, Spain, 7min

A story of a child and his fish set on their journey into the unknown, following the raid on the child’s town during the ongoing war ravaging his country. The film captures the steps of this journey and its transformations, concluding as the child reaches one of the coasts.

Language: None
Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes
Technique: 2D animation

Team:
Director & Art director: Rami Abbas
Writer: Khaled Alsaid
Animators: Wissam Shaheen, Yaser Koresh, Mahammad Almahamed
Concept Art, Story B, Lay Out, Animator: Rami Abbas
Backgrounds: Nawras Nahar, M Abdalla
2D coloring & Shadows: Manal Alasadi
VFX & Color correction: Louay Mohsen
Music: Serkan Hakki
SFX & Sound Design: Alan Hakki
VO: Mais Shtayyan
Final theme song: Poem (“This sea is mine”), Part of the long masterpiece “Mural” by Mahmoud Darwish (Vocals: Abo Gabi. Music Production: Osloob).

Stills:

Festivals – Awards:

Hide & Seek was selected for more than 80 festivals worldwide, including the Cannes Short Film Corner, France. It has also won awards at the following festivals:
. Les Rimbaud du Cinéma, France, Best Animation Short Film Award.
. Festival Internacional de Cinema da Fronteira, Brazil, Best Animation Short Film Award.
. Lunigiana Cinema Festival, Italy, Best Short Film Human Rights.
. Portmán Cinema Festival, Spain, Best Direction.
. Jordan Children’s Film Festival, Jordan, Best Short Film.
. Alexandria Mediterranean Film Festival, Egypt, Jury Prize.
. Digital Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey, Best Animation Film & Best Music & UN Goals Theme Award.
. Izmit International Short Film, Turkey, Best Animation Film.
. Salsa Film Festival, Germany, Best Children’s Film.
. Hak-İş Short Film Festival_Türkiye_Jury Prize.
. South Italy International Film Festival_Italy_Best Screenplay.
. International Animal and Environmental Film Festival (FICAA)_Mexico_Best Activist Message/Children’s Rights Animated Short.
. Vesuvius International Film Awards_Italy_Best Animation Film & Best Director.
. Link International Film Festival_United Kingdom_Best Animation Film.
. ImoIFF Creatives International Film Festival_Nigeria_Ireland_Special jury prize.
. Clare Island Film Festival_Ireland_Special jury prize.
. ANIMATIBA International Animation Festival_Brazil_Special jury prize for the humanitarian and artistic character of the work.

About Rami Abbas

A Palestinian director, animator, painter, and multidisciplinary artist. He studied art in Syria and later continued his studies in Madrid, where he currently resides. Abbas has directed several experimental and animated short films. In addition to participating in numerous artistic exhibitions worldwide, he has worked for many years in animation and graphic design, producing promotional projects addressing humanitarian, social, and justice issues. Moreover, he conducts animation training workshops & youth empowerment. He won several international awards for his latest animated short film, Hide & Seek.

www.rami-abbas.com

Instagram

My Second Eye / Ayny

Ahmad Saleh (Fiction 2.0, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Ahmad Saleh)

2016, Germany, Jordan, Palestine, 11min

The mothers stood when the war hit the houses. The children kept dreaming. The houses grew back. The war hit back. The children kept playing. The film is a Gold Winner of Oscar Students Academy Award.

Language: Arabic

Recommended for children under the age of 14: No

Technique: Puppet animation, Live-action, 3D CGI

Team:

Written and directed by Ahmad Saleh

Producer: Stefan Gieren

Art Director: Jessica Neubauer

Director of photography: Lionel Poutiaire Some

Animation: Frank Pingel

Character Design: Sabine Dully

3D animation and models: Claire Steka, Dominic Tiedken

Puppets: Ahmad Saleh, Diana Meneatrev, Jessica Neubauer, Kerstin Gramberg

Costumes: Kati Ostermann, Nici Lancaster, Carmen Oertwig

Props: Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh, Frank Pingel, Camilo Colmenares, Shin Moromisato

Light: Mahmoud Belakhel

Sound: David Black

Music: Nizar Rohana

Academic supervision: Prof. Raimund Krumme, Stephanie Beaugrand, Prof. Sophie Maintigneux, Prof. Zilvinas Lilas, Prof. Katrin Laur, Prof. Markus Busch, Daniela Kinasteder, Christina Elbet // Production coordiators: Naser Abu Zer (Palestine), Saleh Saleh (Jordan)

Color grading: Quimu Cas, Fabiana Cardala

Sound recording and mix: Judith Nordbrock, Gerlad Schauder

Stills:

About Ahmad Saleh

Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/German writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh and Saed. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, the brothers made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories. Ahmad Saleh also presents an original storytelling performance Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine of which the artist says: “I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.”

Filmography: 

2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’

2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’

2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’

2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh

Memory Of The Land / ذاكرة الأرض (Dhakirat al-ʾard)

Samira Badran

2017, Spain, Palestine, 12’50min

“Palestine. A body is trapped at a checkpoint; an essential mechanism of the Israeli occupation. The body is pierced by structural and physical violence, which is aggressive and arbitrary and prevents and attacks its free movement and existence.”

Language: Arabic, Invented Language
Recommended for children under 14 years of age: No
Technique: 3D animation, Digital collage, painting, drawing, video, photograph.

Team:
Original idea: Samira Badran
Screenplay: Samira Badran & Oriol Martin Gual
Production company: Jaume Serra Torrello & Samira Badran
Producer: Jaume Serra Torrello & Samira Badran
Cinematography: Oriol Martin Gual
Edition & post-production: Oriol Martin Gual
3D Animation: Alex Guitart -Pol Cayuela Rull
Sound: Lucas Ariel Vallejos
Artistic direction: Samira Badran

Festivals – Screenings and Awards
2017 | Huesca International Film Festival, Spain, Special Jury Mention
2018 | Nazra Palestine Short Film Festival | Italy, Best Experimental Film in Venice, Best Experimental Film at Siena, Oltre le mura Award
2020 | Al Ard Doc Film Festival | Italy, Best Experimental Film
2021 | Sole Luna Doc film festival | Italy, Special Jury Mention

2017 | ZINEBI – Bilbao International Festival of Documentary and Short Films, Spain
2017 | Festival de Málaga. Cine en Español, Spain
2017 | LISFE Leiden International Short Film Experience, Netherlands
2017 | DOK Leipzig – International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, Germany
2017 | Encounters – Bristol Short Film and Animation Festival, United Kingdom
2017 | Bideodromo, Spain
2017 | Festival of Animated Film BANJALUKA. Bosnia Herzegovina
2017 | BUSHO – Budapest Short Film Festival, Hungary
2017 | Athens ANIMFEST. Greece
2018 | ANIMAC – International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia, Lleida, Spain
2018 | IBAFF – Festival Internacional de Cine, Spain
2018 | Chicago Palestine Film Festival, United States
2018 | Glasgow Short Film Festival, United Kingdom
2018 | Festival Ciné-Palestine, Paris, France
2018 | Animakom, Spain
2018 | FIAV – Festival International d’Art Vidéo de Casablanca, Morocco
2018 | Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Canadá
2018 | Cartón- Festival Internacional De Cortos De animación de Buenos Aires, Argentina
2018 | Boston Palestine Film Festival, USA
2018 | Olhares do Mediterrâneo- Cinema no Feminino, Portugal
2018 | DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival, USA
2024 | 14. StopTrik International Film Festival, Maribor, Slovenia
2025 | Animafest Zagreb World Festival of Animated Film, Zagreb, Croatia

Stills:

About Samira Badran
Samira Badran (born in Libya, in 1954) is a Palestinian visual artist currently residing in
Barcelona. She was deeply influenced by her late father, the artist Jamal Badran, who
played a crucial role in shaping her artistic development. Badran graduated from the
Academy of Fine Arts in Cairo in 1971- 1976 and later continued her studies at the Accademia
di Belle Arti in Florence from 1978-1982.
Her work explores the different layers of the Palestinian experience under occupation, delving into themes
such as collective memory, confinement, and immobility. Badran experiments with a variety of mediums, including ink drawings, watercolour, acrylic
painting, collage, photography, prints, and animation.

Personal Exhibitions
2017 FALASTIN AL-HADARA EXHIBITION, DARAT AL FUNUN, BLUE HOUSE, AMMAN-JORDAN.
2012 NOVA, ESPAI ÀGORA CATALUNYA – BARCELONA.
2008 UNIVERSITY ROVIRA I VIRGILI, SALOU – SPAIN.
1996 LA TRAMONTANA, CHAILLÉ LES MARAIS – FRANCE.
1995 SHOMAN FOUNDATION, AMMAN – JORDAN.
1987 THE BRITISH COUNCIL, AMMAN – JORDAN.

Find out more at www.samirabadran.com

The Tower / البرج (Albuorj)

BY Mats Grorud

(Tenk.tv, Les Contes Modernes, Cinenic Film)
2018, Norway, France, Sweden, 77min

Beirut, Lebanon, Today. Wardi, an eleven-year-old Palestinian girl, lives with her whole family in the refugee camp where she was born. Her beloved great-grandfather Sidi was one of the first people to settle in the camp after being expelled his homeland back in 1948. The day Sidi gives her the key to his old house back in Galilee, she fears he may have lost hope of someday going home. As she searches for Sidi’s lost hope around the camp, she will collect her family’s testimonies, from one generation to the next.

Language: Arabic, English, French and Norwegian
Recommended for children under the age of 14: Yes
Technique: Puppet animation, 2D

Team:
Director: Mats Grorud
Scriptwriter: Mats Grorud, Trygve Allister Diesen, Ståle Stein Berg
Art Director: Rui Tenreiro
Music Composer: Nathanaël Bergèse
Animation Supervisor Stop motion: Pierre-Luc Granjon
Animation studio: Foliascope
Animation Supervisor 2D: Hefang Wei
DoP: Sara Sponga, Nadine Buss
Editors: Silje Nordseth, Carsten Meinich, Anders Bergland, Margrete Vinnem
Sound designers: Cloudberry ab, by Christian Holm, Erik Bjerknes
Producers: Frode Søbstad (Tenk.tv), Patrice Nezan, Laurent Versini (Les Contes Modernes), Annika Hellström (Cinenic Film)
Distribution: PartyFilmSales

Stills:

About Mats Grorud

Mats Grorud is a film director and animator from Norway. He previously directed two short films and has worked as an animator on several feature films, documentaries and music videos. During his childhood, his mother worked as a nurse in refugee camps in Lebanon. In the 1990s, Mats studied at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon while working as an English and Animation teacher in the Burj el Barjaneh refugee camp. Based on the testimonies of the people in the camp and his experience, he wrote the script for his first-feature film, The Tower.

DIRECTOR AND ANIMATOR:
2009 SANTA KLAUS, short film, co-directed with Robin Jensen.
2008 MY GRANDMOTHER BEJING, short film

ANIMATOR:
2005 ASYLUMSEEKERS, short film directed by Kaja Polmar; GRANDPA IS A RAISIN, feature film directed by Pjotr Sapegin.

Checkpoint / نقطة تفتيش (Nuqtat Taftish)
Jana Kattan (Arts University Bournemouth)
2021, UK, 5’50min

Set in the occupied territory of modern-day Palestine known as the West Bank, Checkpoint follows 11 year old Leila, who wakes up before dawn every morning to try to get to school on time. Her obstacle is the military occupation of her environment – specifically, the notorious checkpoint she must cross every day to get to her school. Despite Leila’s best efforts to prepare, she cannot control the seemingly endless queue, or the strong possibility she will be randomly denied access to the other side.

Language: Arabic, Hebrew
Recommended for children under 14 years old: Yes
Technique: 2D hand-drawn digital

Team:

Directed by Jana Kattan

Animation: Clara Cornish, Jana Kattan, Zeina Abu-Zayed, Miles Jezuita, Jesse Rist, Declan Crutchfield, Henry McLaughlin

Assistant Animators: Michelle Van Houten, Susana Van Konijnenburg, Arthur Dantes Porto Lara

Clean Up and Color: Morgan Emily Harris, Declan Crutchfield, Michelle Van Houten, Evangelos Mayson

Layout Concept Artists: Jesse Rist, Declan Crutchfield, Morgan Emily Harris

Colour Scripts: Henry McLaughlin

Layout Artists: Jesse Rist, Declan Crutchfield, Morgan Emily Harris

Assistant Layout Artists: Anna Lokotova, Evangelos Mayson, Jamie Morrison, Misia Paczek

Compositing & Editing: Jesse Rist

Sound Design: Jesse Rist, Ibrahim Zaher, Jana Kattan

Music: Haytham Safia

Character Designer: Jana Kattan, Zeina Abu-Zayed

Storyboard Artists: Clara Cornish, Jana Kattan, Henry McLaughlin

Produced by Jesse Rist

Stills:

About Jana Kattan

Specializing in film direction, storytelling and character animation, Jana Kattan is a graduate from the BA Animation Production course at Arts University Bournemouth. She directed Checkpoint, a story that she followed through from initial concept and pitch to final screening at the British Film Institute. Checkpoint has been picked up for numerous awards and been selected to screen at prestigious festivals including London Independent Film Festival, Los Angeles Animation Festival, Cardiff Animation Festival, Brighton International Animation Festival, Toronto Animation Arts Festival International, Dumbo Film Festival (New York) and Lift Off Global Network 2021 (Pinewood studios and Hollywood).

In Jana’s words: “As a Palestinian, Checkpoint was a project that is extremely close to my heart, and managing and directing a group of 6 other team members was an invaluable experience, particularly during the pandemic.  Directing the film taught me about the production-pipeline, as well as how to inspire others to become invested in the story we were telling, and why it was so important to tell. I am a firm believer in animation and film as a powerful medium for conveying all types of stories, whether they be comedic, informative or emotional. I hope to continue to use film and animation to tell stores that shine a light on under-represented groups and individuals.”

Read more Jana Kattan

Mariam

Dana Durr

2020, Palestine / Netherlands, 5min

A young woman climbs into her favorite olive tree, savoring moments of her precious paradise — until her peace is broken.

An animated short follows a girls journey to find tradition and knowledge from her culture and heritage after losing her beloved sanctuary. As she witnesses the destruction of a beloved tree, a broad and unbreakable bond is illustrated through motifs of olive and cypress trees embroidered in this heartfelt film about the unity of people and their land.

Recommended for children under 14 years old: Yes

Technique: 2D hand-drawn digital

Team:

Directed by Dana Durr

Music & Sound Design: Bu Kolthoum

Screened at: 

Toronto palestine film festival 2021

Animatex Cairo 2021

Audience Award at Karama film festival 2021

Audience award at Festival Cine-Palestine 2021

Reel Palestine 2022

Stills:

About Dana Durr

A passionate and creative film maker with a wealth of industry experience. Educated at Kingston University, London and Avans Master of Arts in Netherlands. She works as a freelance animator as well as teaching animation at Birzeit University.

The Wanted 18

By Amer Shomali & Paul Cowan

2014, Canada, 75 min

Through a clever mix of stop motion animation and interviews, The Wanted 18 recreates an astonishing true story: the Israeli army’s pursuit of 18 cows, whose independent milk production on a Palestinian collective farm was declared “a threat to the national security of the state of Israel.” In response to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, a group of people from the town of Beit Sahour decide to buy 18 cows and produce their own milk as a co-operative. Their venture is so successful that the collective farm becomes a landmark, and the cows local celebrities- until the Israeli army takes note and declares that the farm is an illegal security threat. Consequently, the dairy is forced to go underground, the cows continuing to produce their “Intifada milk” with the Israeli army in relentless pursuit. Recreating the story of the “wanted 18” from the perspectives of the Beit Sahour activists, Israeli military officials, and the cows, Palestinian artist Amer Shomali and veteran Canadian director Paul Cowan create an enchanting, inspirational tribute to the ingenuity and power of grassroots activism.

.       

Making of

About Amer Shomali

Amer Shomali is a Palestinian multidisciplinary artist who uses painting, films, digital media, installations and comics as tools to explore and interact with the sociopolitical scene in Palestine. Much of Shomali’s work examines the creation and the use of the Palestinian revolution’s iconography. His art works are part of several collections: the British Museum, the Arab World Institute, the Barjeel Art Foundation, the Samawi Collection, the Museum of Manufactured Response to Absence (MoMRtA), the Birzeit University Museum and the Al-Qattan Foundation. Shomali co-directed an award-winning animated documentary, “The Wanted 18”, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. The film was awarded the best documentary award in the Abu Dhabi, Carthage, Traverse City and Al-Jazeera film festivals. “The Wanted 18” was in the official submission lists for the foreign language and documentary categories of the 88th Academy Awards. Born in Kuwait in 1981, Shomali holds a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University in Palestine and a master’s degree in Animation from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom. He is currently based in Ramallah, Palestine, and teaches at the Faculty of Art, Music and Design at Birzeit University.

“Grandmother Wore Us Out” / ستي تعبتنا (Setti ta‘abatna)
Collective work
2024, Palestine, 4’22min

Animation Stories. Stop Motion Animation Workshops Across Gaza

Abu Mohammad had it all figured out – how to stretch water for a family of seven all week. Everyone pitched in, queuing for supplies and hauling them back. Just as they were ready to rest, Grandma strolled in, looking oddly refreshed. Arrrggg. Made by a group of displaced children in Deir al-Balah camp.

Bringing Emotions and Ideas to Life Through Stop Motion, with Haneen Koraz, Shorouq Darwish, Nour A-Jawad
For children, stop-motion animation is more than just a technique – it is a window into their deepest thoughts and hidden fears. Through character movement, they do more than create scenes; they release their emotions into the world – expressing joy, anger, fear, and love with delicate adjustments to facial expressions and body movements. They imagine how a character speaks, how it sounds, how it gets angry or happy, and then they translate those emotions into vibrant, living motion. With each frame, they weave stories drawn from their own experiences, making the inanimate speak and turning ideas into moving images that tell their own tales. Animation here is not just a skill; it is a new language of self-expression, a free space for profound artistic exploration.

Stills:

About the mentors
Haneen Koraz
Haneen is a Palestinian artist from Gaza working in the field of visual arts, with a focus on stop-motion animated films. Since 2012, she has led workshops in government and UNRWA schools, training children to create their own animated films. She develops creative projects with children and youth under the harsh conditions of siege and displacement, believing deeply in the power of art as a tool for expression and healing. Haneen uses simple, paper-based stop-motion techniques to document children’s everyday stories in Gaza, especially those living in camps and marginalized areas. She has co-founded artistic workshops across the Gaza Strip and has directed and coordinated several short films that have received both local and international attention. Her work aims to amplify children’s voices and express their dreams and fears through vivid, heartfelt visuals. She has participated in the annual “Theatre Days” festivals and won numerous awards in animation competitions focused on children’s and women’s rights. Haneen has received multiple art grants, including from Al-Harah Theater, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture’s Creativity Challenge Grant, Shababeek Art Platform, the French Institute, Filastiniyat, Action for Hope (Lebanon), and the Palestinian Cultural Fund. Her recent projects include producing animated films with girls with and without disabilities. In 2022, she received the Taawon Award for Excellence in the Cultural Sector. She also completed a 10-day training in Lebanon on cultural management and project leadership in crisis conditions.

Find out more:

Instagram

YouTube channel

Patreon

GoFundMe

Interview with the trainers at Zippy Frames 

Join, follow, and take action together with @AC4Pal Animation Community for Palestine that is dedicated to support Haneen, Shorouq, Nour, and other trainers

Ongoing Nakba

Animation / director: Basel Nasr
Production: masna alrusoom almutharrikah (The Animation Factory)
Distributed by Palestine Animated
2023, Palestine, 45’’
Produced by: PLO-NAD Illustration: Aboud Haj Yahya, Abdallah Awwad
Music Track: Lost Soul- by Swan Productions

A reminder that the Nakba is not just history, but a lived reality that persists in the daily lives of Palestinians.

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes
​​Original language: English + Arabic
Technique: 2D
Dialogue: none
Format: Full HD

Stills:

About Basel Nasr

Basel Nasr is a Designer and Producer working in the field of Animation, Illustration and interactive design. Nasr earned a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University In 2003. In 2005 Along with a group of young artists, Nasr established ZAN Studio; a multi-discipline art studio specialized in digital art and new media, working on a range of Animation, Interactive and Visual Art projects. In 2008 he received a scholarship from HQSF to pursue his Master’s degree in Animation from the University of California Los Angeles. During his study, Nasr also had the chance to work in two companies as an Interactive Designer for tablet and online children content. After his return to Palestine in 2013, Nasr founded maṣna‘ al rusūm al mutaḥarrikah, an Animation and Interactive Studio.

Basel Nasr is one of our 2022 AFIELD fellows, based in Ramallah, Palestine. Animator, producer and trainer, Basel Nasr founded the initiative “Almasna : The Animation Factory”, in 2015 as a collaborative studio that uses animation to tell stories inspired by daily life, and create videos that help raise awareness about local issues calling for political and social change. In 2022, they also established “The Almasna Workshop”, a space for learning, experimentation and training in the field of animation. Their aim is to promote animation as an ever-evolving art form, and to help develop this art into an industry in Palestine.

Find out more: AFIELD

Meet Basel Nasr

Concrete Sky /سماء خرسانية

By Basel Nasr and Ahmad Saleh

2025, Palestine, Ramallah, 5:43 min

The daily journey the balloon girl takes, witnessing the effects of the apartheid wall, as it separates children from their schools, families from each other and people from their land.

Language: None

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes

Technique: Hybrid, Video, 2D, 3D

Team: 

Written and Directed By: Basel Nasr and Ahmad Saleh. 

Animation: Dia’ Al-Azzeh, Farah Ghniem, Abdullah Awwad. 

Artwork: Abd Al-Rahman Haj Yahya, Production Assistant: Majdal Soboh.

Camera: Ashraf Dowani, Camera Assitant: Muhanad Mitwali, Mishal Qawasmi, Compositing and Color Correction: Salah Hussein. 

Actors: Salma Abu Hilal, Khaled Abu Hilal, Aseel Shaheen, Kareem Nasr.

Music: Braveness By Styve Bolduc.

Special Thanks: Vision Association for Culture and Arts. 

Inspired by the Graffiti of: Banksy, Sam3, Blu, vince7.

Produced By: Maṣna‘ al­ rusūm al­ mutaḥarrikah

The film was commissioned by, and has been continuously screening at the Yasser Arafats Museum in Ramallah.  

Stills:

About Ahmad Saleh and Basel Nasr: 

Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/German writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh and Saed. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, the brothers made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories. Ahmad Saleh also presents an original storytelling performance Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine of which the artist says: “I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.”

Filmography: 

2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’

2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’ 

2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’ 

2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh  

Basel Nasr is a Designer and Producer working in the field of Animation, Illustration and interactive design. Nasr earned a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University In 2003. In 2005 Along with a group of young artists, Nasr established ZAN Studio; a multi-discipline art studio specialized in digital art and new media, working on a range of Animation, Interactive and Visual Art projects. In 2008 he received a scholarship from HQSF to pursue his Master’s degree in Animation from the University of California Los Angeles. During his study, Nasr also had the chance to work in two companies as an Interactive Designer for tablet and online children content. After his return to Palestine in 2013, Nasr founded maṣna‘ al rusūm al mutaḥarrikah, an Animation and Interactive Studio.

Basel Nasr is one of our 2022 AFIELD fellows, based in Ramallah, Palestine. Animator, producer and trainer, Basel Nasr founded the initiative “Almasna : The Animation Factory”, in 2015 as a collaborative studio that uses animation to tell stories inspired by daily life, and create videos that help raise awareness about local issues calling for political and social change. In 2022, they also established “The Almasna Workshop”, a space for learning, experimentation and training in the field of animation. Their aim is to promote animation as an ever-evolving art form, and to help develop this art into an industry in Palestine.

Find out more: AFIELD

Meet Basel Nasr

Drawing for better dreams

by May Odeh, Dia Azzeh

Length: 4:18min

Released in 2015

By using images drawn by Palestinian children between the ages of 9 and 12, ‘Drawing for Better Dreams’ takes us to the Occupied Territories and into the minds of the kids who live there under siege. By animating the simple crayon drawings, this moving film conjures up the struggles faced by Palestinian children on a daily basis, and demonstrates the power of – and need for – allowing young people to dream.

Stills:

Limitless

By Amal Al-Nakhala

2024, Palestine, 4’48min

The harsh symbolism captures the complexities of truth in Gaza, where nothing is straightforward or easily defined.

Language: Arabic

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: No

Technique: 2D animation

Stills:

About Amal Al-Nakhala

Amal Al-Nakhala (b. 1999, Gaza) holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and views art as both a personal and political expression. Her artistic identity is deeply shaped by her environment, particularly the Mushtabik experience, which she transforms into powerful visual narratives. Al-Nakhala’s work offers a profound exploration of the Palestinian experience, blending history, memory, and identity through a multidisciplinary approach. Her art eloquently captures the complexities of Palestinian life, focusing on themes of resilience and resistance. Each piece stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of her people, portraying their struggles, hopes, and aspirations amidst ongoing adversity. Whether through visual art, storytelling, or other mediums, Al-Nakhala’s creations go beyond traditional artistic expression, acting as important cultural and political statements that bring attention to the Palestinian cause.

Find out more

https://www.instagram.com/amalnakhalaa/

https://www.katharinamariaraab.com/amal-al-nakhala/

Silence/ صمت

By Diá Azzeh

2010, 3’50min

Stills:

Uncle, Give Me a Cigarette / عمي اعطيني سيجارة (Ammi, aʿtini sijarah)

By Basel Nasr (Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees / UPWC, Animation Factory)

2023, Palestine, 4’50min

Awaiting a prison transfer, Walid receives a strange request in a mysterious whisper … The film draws inspiration from the story of Walid Daqqa, who resisted for 27 years in Israeli occupation prisons. The film tells of a crucial moment in Daqqa’s life, the meeting with a child (of no more than 12 years old), who makes an unusual request: a cigarette. As Daqqa faces a moment of hesitation, the narrative takes a compelling turn, showing the complexity of life within prison walls. The film was created through collaborative efforts during the workshop supervised by the by the graphic studio Al Masna in collaboration with the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.

Language: Arabic

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes

Technique: Puppet film

Team:

Participants, the Students of the Palestinian Women’s Committee Union: Rital Wajdi, Kinda Alaa, Jouan Wajdi, Karmel Alaa, Lamis Alaa, Rama Hamed, Hala Samara, Maram Zahran, Arjwan Al-Khalidi, Lian Tlaib, Abrar Zahran, Karmel Khawaja, Ruaa Assi, Maysa Zahran

Trainers: Aya Amouri, Yasmina Khalil, Nermin Nayfeh, Joua Rifai

Supervision: Tahrir Jaber (Executive Director of the Palestinian Women’s Committee Union), Badira Jarradat (Coordinator of the Palestinian Women’s Committee Union)

Editing and Sound Compilation: Mohammed Hamad Bishara, Aya Amouri, Yasmina Khalil, Dhirar Abu Quteish, Ziad Nasr, Hafez Omar

Special Thanks: Sana Daqqa, Hafez Omar

Stills:

About Basel Nasr

Basel Nasr is a Designer and Producer working in the field of Animation, Illustration and interactive design. Nasr earned a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University In 2003. In 2005 Along with a group of young artists, Nasr established ZAN Studio; a multi-discipline art studio specialized in digital art and new media, working on a range of Animation, Interactive and Visual Art projects. In 2008 he received a scholarship from HQSF to pursue his Master’s degree in Animation from the University of California Los Angeles. During his study, Nasr also had the chance to work in two companies as an Interactive Designer for tablet and online children content. After his return to Palestine in 2013, Nasr founded maṣna‘ al rusūm al mutaḥarrikah, an Animation and Interactive Studio.

Basel Nasr is one of our 2022 AFIELD fellows, based in Ramallah, Palestine. Animator, producer and trainer, Basel Nasr founded the initiative “Almasna : The Animation Factory”, in 2015 as a collaborative studio that uses animation to tell stories inspired by daily life, and create videos that help raise awareness about local issues calling for political and social change. In 2022, they also established “The Almasna Workshop”, a space for learning, experimentation and training in the field of animation. Their aim is to promote animation as an ever-evolving art form, and to help develop this art into an industry in Palestine.

Find out more: AFIELD

Meet Basel Nasr

Zoo / حديقة الحيوان

Tariq Rimawi

2022, Jordan, Germany, with the support from RFC and Robert Bosch. 8’12’min

Wandering through the Worst Zoo in the World, a young boy Sami is looking for his football. The loner finds more than that when he encounters the little tiger Laziz, who follows him on his quest to find a safe place to play. Against all odds, they become friends. But the remnants of war harbor danger.

The visual style is inspired by famed Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali’s artwork. He was known for his political criticism and has been described as one of the greatest cartoonist in the world.

Language: None

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: YES

Technique: 2D Animation

Team:

Written and directed by Tariq Rimawi

Producers: Aminah Abdat, Moritz Mayerhofer

Music: Peter Thomas Gromer

Sound Design & Audio Editor: Mohammad Shafagoj

Sound Mixing: Martin Schutze

Art Director: Aminah Abdat

Concept Art & Layout: Aminah Abdat, Salsabeel Abuobaid

Character Design: Farah Varoqua

Background Design: Mai Kilani, Salsabeel Abuobaid

Animation: Salsabeel Abuobaid, Aminah Abdat

3D artist:  Tulip Swedat

Rotoscope: Mai Kilani

Storyboard: Aminah Abdat, Salsabeel Abuobaid

Compositing & Editing: Tariq Rimawi

DCP Mastering: Martin Backhaus

Inking: Salsabeel Abuobaid, Aminah Abdat, Mai Kilani, Roa’a Alshatal, Ahmad Attili, Dina Jamal

Voice Actor: Nikolai Neumetzler

ADR-Recording: Steve Patuta

Interns: Roa’a Alshatal, Karen Muller, Ahmad Attili, Dina Jamal, Ibtehal Assaf, Sarah Hleissi

Supported by: Jordan Film Fund, The Royal Film Commission Jordan

Festivals – Awards:

– Best Arab Animation, Animatex Animation Festival, Egypt (2025)

– Best International Film Award, 17th Bangladesh International Short and Independent Film Festival, Bangladesh (2024)

– Best Short Film Award, Storia in Corto Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Audience Award, Storia in Corto Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Director Award, Galdar International Film Festival, Spain (2024)

– Special Jury Award, International Amity Short Film Festival, Turkey (2024)

– Special Mention Award, Mario Puzo Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Film Popular Jury, International Short Film Festival CortoLovere, Italy (2024)

– Special Mention Award, Baghdad Film Festival, Iraq (2024)

– Special Jury Mention Award, Cortoeacapo Mario Puzo Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Animation Award, Andaras Traveling Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Mention Award, MOMPEO International Short Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Sound Design Award, Malta Short Film Festival, Malta (2024)

– Best Short Film (Audience Award), Palestine Film Festival, Kuwait (2024)

– Best Animation Award, Adriatic Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Special Mention Award, Babylon Animation Festival, Iraq (2024)

– Best Animation Award, Dieciminuti Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Short Film, XXVIII Valsusa FilmFest , Italy (2024)

– Best Technical Realization, Settimo Short Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Special Jury Mention, IFF Integrazione Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Best Animation Award (Children’s Juries over 13 years old), Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People, Greece (2023)

– Best Animation Award, Bahrain Film Festival, Bahrain (2023)

– Best Animation Award, Tangier Film Festival, Morocco (2023)

– Best Animation Award, Beirut Short Film Festival, Lebanon (2023)

– Giuseppe Maestri Prize” for Best Animation, International Festival “Corti da Sogni Antonio Ricci”, Italy (2023)

– Best Animation Award, International Short Film Festival in Tripoli, Lebanon (2023)

– Best Animation Award, Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Shorty Week, Spain (2023)

Festivals – Screenings:

– Kaboom Animation Festival, Netherland (2025)

– Beirut Animation Nights, Lebanon (2025)

– ANIMATIBA – Festival Internacional de Animação de Curitiba, Brazil (2025)

– Ferrara Film Corto Festival, Italy (2024)

– 62nd Golden Knight Malta Film Festival , Malta (2024)

– Amarcort Film Festival Rimini, Italy (2024)

– Festival del Cinema dei Diritti Umani di Napoli, Italy (2024)

– Salsa Film Festival, Germany (2024)

– Visioni Corte Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– 12th Canlandiranlar Film Festival, Turkey (2024)

– ANIMATICA small festival of animated shorts, Italy (2024)

– Free Palestine International Film Festival, UK (2024)

– Periferia dell’impero International Short Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– 11° Festival Internazionale dei Corti, Italy (2024)

– Marateale International Award, Italy (2024)

– Festival Corto Ma Non Troppo, Italy (2024)

– Vertigo Film Fest, Italy (2024)

– Mediterraneo Festival Corto, Italy (2024)

– Officine Social Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– SAFAR Film Festival, UK (2024)

– Bardolino Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Falastin Film Festival, Scotland (2024)

– 18th Addis International Film Festival, Ethiopia (2024)

– Bangladesh International Short and Independent Film Festival, Bangladesh (2024)

– Solidando Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– Exploring Dissenting Voices Human Rights Short Film Exhibition, Taiwan (2024)

– 12th Asturias Social and Human Rights Film Festival, Spain (2024)

– CINEMARE International Ocean Film Festival KIEL, Germany (2024)

– Palestine Film Festival, Australia (2024)

– ACT Human Rights Film Festival, USA (2024)

– Florence Short Film Festival, Italy (2024)

– PATOIS International Film Festival, USA (2024)

– Houston Palestine Film Festival, USA (2024)

– ALFILM, Arab Film Festival Berlin, Germany (2024)

– Ajyal Film Festival / Club, Qatar (2023)

– Sharjah International Film Festival for Children and Youth, UAE (2023)

– 36th International Amateur Film Festival of Kelibia, Tunisia (2023)

– 24th Ismailia International Film Festival, Egypt (2023)

– Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Canada (2023)

– 2º Festival Internacional de Cinema Ambiental de Garopaba, Brazil (2023)

– Karama Yemen Human Rights Film Festival, Yemen (2023)

– Festival du film d’animation pour la jeunesse de Bourg en Bresse, France (2023)

– Cannes Short Film Corner, France (2023)

– ITFS Stuttgart OPEN AIR Screening, Germany (2023)

– Palestine en Vue – Lyon (Special Screening), France (2023)

– 10th Tyre International Short Film Festival, Lebanon (2023)

– Weird Market & WFest – International Animation Short Films Market & Festival, Spain (2023)

– Lady Filmmakers Festival, USA (2023)

– 2º Festival Internacional de Cinema Ambiental de Garopaba, Brazil (2023)

– Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Shorty Week, Spain (2023)

– Weird Fest, International Animation Short Films Market & WFest, Spain (2023)

– SOUQ Film Festival, Italy (2023)

Stills:

About Tariq Rimawi

Tariq Rimawi is an independent Jordanian animated film director, scriptwriter, and academic. He graduated with a Master’s in Animation from Newport Film School in the United Kingdom in 2010 and obtained a PhD in Animation from Loughborough University in 2014. His films have received over 40 regional and international awards and have been screened at over 250 international film festivals. In 2016, He established the Animation Department at the University of Petra in Jordan to equip its graduates with the latest storytelling and visual communication techniques. Tariq currently works as the section head of the Multimedia and Production Studio at the Digital Learning and Online Education office at Qatar University.

Filmography: Missing (2010), Growing (2013), Surprise (2016)

Website: www.tariqrimawi.com

https://www.zoo-film.com/

Through the Eye of a Needle  / من ثقب إبرة (Min thuqbi ʾibrah)

Shereen Abdul Karim Hassanein

2022, Palestine, 4’53min

A personal project with a communal impact, this film aims at transforming individual memories of suffering into a collective memory. It portrays both satirical and realistic scenes from public spaces in Gaza City. The project addresses a range of social issues that have persisted and recurred over the past 15 years, becoming an inseparable part of the city’s fabric and the lives of its residents. It also explores the conceptual landscape of Gaza through the digitization and 3D modeling of these spaces – structures that continue to expand as the blockade endures. This is an attempt to envision how the current natural space might appear.

Language: Arabic (on-screen texts)

Recommended for children under 14 years old: Yes

Technique: 3D CGI

Stills:

About Shereen Abdul Kareem Hassanein

Shereen Abdul Kareem Hassanein (b. 1996, Gaza City) is a Palestinian architect and visual artist whose interdisciplinary practice investigates the relationship between urban space, memory, and visual storytelling. With a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), and a professional role at V-Verse, a company specialized in building immersive digital environments, Shereen bridges architectural thinking with contemporary art to explore how spaces shape, hold, and transmit collective experience. Her work draws on architectural language to reflect on the layers of memory embedded in the city, focusing on how places, especially Gaza, transform over time through social, cultural, and historical processes. Using drawing, collage, sculpture, installation, and spatial modeling, she constructs visual archives that document, reinterpret, and preserve the identity of urban environments, often blurring the line between real and imagined geographies. Central to her practice is a long-term interest in archiving urban memory, not as static preservation but as an active process of narration and engagement. Her projects build a dialogue between personal stories and the spatial character of the city, where architecture becomes a tool to decode history, reconstruct presence, and speculate on future forms.

Shereen views the city as a living entity – fluid, layered, and charged with symbolic meaning. Her works often emerge from research-based processes and are informed by the materiality of place, vernacular forms, and the invisible forces that shape urban life. Gaza remains a central axis in her work – not only as a site of origin but as a conceptual and emotional framework for investigating broader questions of visibility, erasure, continuity, and transformation.

Her projects have been exhibited locally and internationally, including:

Qurban / Contemporary Links, Shababik, Gaza, 2019

Solo Exhibition, Artist Residency / Shababik, Gaza, 2020

Through the Eye of a Needle, ICRC, Gaza, 2022

Tadafuq (Flow), Madrid and Gaza, 2023

Artistic Residency, Spanish Academy in Rome, 2023

From You / For You, Group Exhibition, Norway, 2025

I Will Write My Family’s Will Above the Clouds, Berlin, London, Oslo, Santander, 2024

Her practice offers a thoughtful lens on how memory is spatialized, archived, and reimagined – positioning art and architecture as tools for inquiry, preservation, and poetic reconstruction.

Nobody – بلا جسد (Without a Body)
Msallam Hdaib (Producer/Writer/Director):
2025, Jordan, 6’45min

In war-torn Gaza, a young man’s decapitated head must navigate love, loss, and the haunting question: Can happiness exist when your body—and world—are stripped away? After an airstrike destroys their home, a newlywed husband survives only as a sentient head. Through stylized stop-motion animation, the film follows the protagonist’s surreal journey with his wife and newborn son.

Stop-motion with hand-drawn textures, blending surrealism with grounded, tactile details. The sound design is a haunting mix of traditional Palestinian melodies, ambient warscapes, and silence to emphasize emotional voids.

Recommended for children under the age of 14: No
Technique: Stop-motion with hand-drawn textures, blending surrealism with grounded, tactile details.
SoundDesign: A haunting mix of traditional Palestinian melodies, ambient warscapes, and silence to emphasize emotional voids.

Team:
Written and directed by Msallam Hdaib
Illustrated by Amani Albaba
Edited, animated, sound design by Msallam Hdaib

Shown at
Cannes World Film Festival 2025 (finalist)
Yosemite Fantasy Film Festival 2025 (selected)
AXD Film Festival 2025 (selected)
Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film 2025 (selected, nominated)
T.I.F.A. – Tietê International Film Awards (Winner Honorable Mention)
Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival (Winner Honorable Mention)

Stills:

About Msallam Hdaib (Producer/Writer/Director):
Msallam is an audiovisual artist from Jordan based in Moscow. BA in Visual Arts, MA in Ceramics. Msallam is better known as “Emsallam” in the Arabic Hip hop community. Released numerous solo albums and performed in UAE, Jordan, France, The Netherlands, and other countries.
He says about his film that Gaza’s stories are often told through headlines; Nobody humanizes them through metaphor. The husband’s disembodiment mirrors the erasure of Palestinian voices and strength (even when they lose their homes, loved ones, and bodies, Palestinians can live and teach life). War stories are often told with a sense of pity. As a Palestinian-Jordanian myself I refuse to be pitied. “Nobody” is a testimony to the resilience and life-loving story of a headless Palestinian man who lost everything but gained the world in the process.

Find out more:
Youtube

Instagram
Facebook

CACHE-CACHE / غماية

By Diá Azzeh

2012, 3’43min

Stills:

The Dream Collector / Le Collecteur de rêves
Khaled Jarada, Abod Nasser
2021, Palestine, 3’23’’

Without dialogue, this film tells an ancient story – a wish you can only whisper to seashells before casting them into the ocean. That is how dreams may come true. But in Gaza, where the sea is closed to dreams, the Dream Collector appeared. He gathered seashells bearing wishes and hung them on his bedroom wall, where hidden hopes turned into paintings. The film was made in 2021 during the Digital Storyboarding workshop at the French Cultural Center in Palestine.

Language: none
Recommended for children under 14 years old: Yes
Technique: 2D animation

Team:

Story and illustration: Khaled Jarada

Translation: Jamileh Tawfiq

Animation: Abod Nasser

Second chapter (coming soon): Aml Nakhala

About Khaled Jarada

Born in 1996 in Gaza, Palestine, Khaled Jarada is an independent visual artist and children’s book illustrator. He has illustrated many children’s books, such as Cane Talk and School Uniform with several publishing houses. He worked as an animator, taught art of performance and participated in several local and international exhibitions. He did an artistic residency at the Al Qatan foundation in 2020 where he exhibited his project Metres. The same year he received second prize at the video art festival organized by the French Institute in Palestine for his project Pandemic diaries. In 2021 he was selected for the artistic residency at the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome. In France, he takes up a residency at La Filleuse in Reims in 2022, and also participates in the residency for the Festival Ciné-Palestine in Paris in 2024. In the same year, he took part in the Musée Sahab group show at the Palais de Tokyo, and concurrently held his first solo exhibition, “Non Key Frame”, at the Fann A porter gallery in Dubai. He has been a member of the agency of artists in exile since 2021.

Find more: https://khaledjarada.wordpress.com/

https://www.instagram.com/khaled.jarada/?hl=en

https://aa-e.org/en/artiste/jarada-khaled-2/

About Abod Nasser: 

A visual artist and animation designer born in Gaza in 2000. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology with a specialization in Multimedia from the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS). He has attended several training courses in the fields of visual arts and animation. He began his artistic career in 2013 and is particularly interested in artistic expression related to social and psychological issues in Gaza. He is distinguished by a unique artistic vision in his approach to visual arts and the world of animation.

His works have been exhibited in numerous international exhibitions, including the Arab World Institute in Paris. He is also an active member of the artistic community affiliated with the French Institute in Gaza. Aboud Nasser received the Best Comic Award for the film The Dream Collector (Le Collecteur des Rêves), created in partnership with Khaled Jaradah. He has also produced several notable animated films.

He contributed to the design of the opening credits for several cinematic works, including Gaza 36 mm, directed by Khalil Al Mozayen, and Gaza Mon Amour, directed by the Nasser brothers. Both films have won multiple international awards, with Gaza Mon Amour nominated for an Oscar as Best Palestinian Film. He also participated in another project with the Nasser brothers, Once Upon a Time in Gaza, which won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival.

House
A film by Ahmad Saleh, Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh, Halah Saleh, Huda Saleh, and their Mother
Produced by Ahmad Saleh, University of the Arts Bremen
2012, Germany, Jordan, 3’50min

 
For generations, a family lived in a spacious, beautiful and generous house. The generosity of the house had become part of their life. Guests were always welcome to enjoy a pleasant stay. Until one guest arrived with a different plan in mind.

Language: English
Recommended for children under the age of 14: No
Technique: Puppet film, Puppet animation

Team:
Voice over: Ulrich Fuchus
Sound: David Black
English translation: Dina Mubaidin
Academic Supervisors: Andrea Sick, Joachim Hofmann

About Ahmad Saleh
Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian/Jordanian/German writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh and Saed. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, the brothers made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories. Ahmad Saleh also presents an original storytelling performance Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine of which the artist says: “I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.”

Filmography:
2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’
2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’
2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’
2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh

I am from Palestine
By Iman Zawahry
2023, US, 5’32min

As Saamidah, a young Palestinian-American girl, anxiously starts her first day of school, she finds her identity in question when faced with a world map that doesn’t include her homeland.

Language: English
Recommended for children under 14 years of age: YES
Technique: 2D CGI
Award-winning children’s animation about the Palestinian-American experience in K-12 schools.

2024 Festivals:
Māoriland Film Festival
San Diego Arab Film Festival
My HERO International Film Festival: Honorable Mention

2023 Film Festivals:
World Premiere: RiverRun International Film Festival
Chicago Palestine Film Festival – Closing night short
Inca Imperial International Film Festival
Arab Film Festival @ Arab American National Museum
Leeds Palestinian Film Festival
San Diego International Film Festival
Spark Micro-Short Film Festival
Muslim Film Festival
Huntington Beach Cultural Film Festival
Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival
Palestinian Refugees Film Festival
Portland Film Festival: Will Vinton Award
Syria Film Festival – Toronto

CAST & CREW:
Directed by: Iman Zawahry
Produced by: Rifk Ebeid
Animated by: Lamaa Jawhari
Additional animation by: Fadia Jaradat
Music composition by: Abed Hathot, Akram Haddad
Songs by: El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe
Edited by: Grace Ibrahim
Trailer edited by: Maximillian Layland
Sound Design by: Barbaros Kaynak
Written by: Rifk Ebeid, Iman Zawahry
Story Consultation: Paul Seetachitt
Starring: Jannah Ebeid (Saamidah), Aizzah Fatima (Teacher), Waseem Alzer (Baba)
Portuguese subtitles: Juliana Souza
Spanish subtitles: Ashley Cisneros
French subtitles: Kunle Fasasi
Arabic subtitles: Yahya Dajani

Based off the book: Baba What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine, Written by Rifk Ebeid, Illustrated by Lamaa Jawhari. Available online everywhere books are sold. For more info: www.rifkbooks.com

Inquiries: info (at) rifkbooks (dot) com
Instagram: @iamfrompalestine.animation

Para la versión en Español, doblada por el Comunidad Palestina de Sevilla, haga clic aquí: • Yo soy de Palestina | Español – Corto gala…

Lyrics to “Take me to Palestine” song during Palestine scenes:

خذني عفلسطين خذني
يا طير لا تواخذني
رجعني على بلادي عند أهلي وولادي

بلادي يا أم النضال يلي انجبتي ابطال
خذني ع ارض المحتل على السهل وعلى التل
والأرض تنده وتقول خذني عفلسطين خذني

Take me to Palestine,
O bird, please
Return me to my country, to my family and children

My country, the mother of struggle, the one that gave birth to heroes
Take me to the occupied land, to the plain and the hill
And the land calls out and says, “Take me to Palestine, take me.”

Samouni Road
By Stefano Savona
2018, France – Italy, 126 min
Documentary, Animation

In the rural outskirts of Gaza City a small community of farmers, the Samouni extended family, is about to celebrate a wedding. It’s going to be the first celebration since the last war. Amal, Fuad, their brothers and their cousins have lost their parents, their houses and their olive trees. The neighbourhood where they live is being rebuilt. As they replant trees and plow fields, they face their most difficult task: piecing together their own memory. Through these young survivors’ recollections, Samouni Road conveys a deep, multifaceted portrait of a family before, during and after the tragic event that changed its life forever.

.     

Inside the TV Box, I Found the True Story of the People of Palestine 

Storytelling Performance and a Screening of Three Short Films by Ahmad Saleh

I was born in Saudia Arabia to a family of Palestinian origin. During my childhood in the 1980s, the first intifada (a nationwide uprising) began. Concerned about their families back home, my parents couldn’t stop watching the news. My childhood was marked by a contrast: a peaceful life with one small window looking at Palestine through the TV screen. As the situation worsened, the window into Palestine grew larger and larger until it felt as if we were living there daily.

I grew up believing I knew everything about Palestine and the Palestinian struggle, but it wasn’t until I moved back there to study for my bachelor’s degree in the late 1990s that I realized how little I truly understood. A few months after I moved, the second intifada began, and the whole country turned into a war zone. Suddenly, I found myself inside the TV box I had watched during my childhood. Being in the midst of the events and experiencing the stories firsthand alongside the people on a daily basis, I soon realized I knew nothing about the people there. Having that dual perspective as both an outsider and an insider was overwhelming, and I found writing a daily diary to be a necessary coping mechanism.

Years after leaving Palestine, I realized that some of these stories remained unresolved. Recognizing the disconnect between the outside view and the reality of life in a conflict zone, I felt compelled to revisit these stories and present them in a way that would reveal the hidden layers of what it truly means to live in such an environment, particularly over extended periods.

In this performance, I stand before the audience and narrate true stories from my journey – from outside Palestine to inside, and back out again. The films serve as chapters in this narrative, complementing my live narration. Throughout the performance, I intermittently dim the lights to allow the films to speak for themselves, before resuming the live narration.

The first part of the performance explores my initial desire to become a local in the place I belong to, only to realize my outsider status amidst the conflict. This realization inspired my first film, HOUSE. Following the screening of the film, I guide the audience through various stories and events until reaching the moment I encountered the two boys in my second film, AYNY.

After presenting the magical realism version of their story, I dive into the details of the real event, translating the symbols in the film to their real root. This provides the audience with a close-up view of the story, akin to being present themselves rather than merely observing through the lenses of the news.

Continuing with other narratives, I eventually introduce the real mother for whom I wrote my third film, NIGHT. I briefly narrate her story before screening the film, then return to the real-life events. Finally, I conclude the performance by reflecting on the lingering thoughts and questions that have arisen from these experiences.

About Ahmad Saleh

Ahmad Saleh is a Palestinian writer and director. His first film, HOUSE, 2012 won a second place in the German Short Film Award and his second film, AYNY, 2016 won an Academy Award. Recently he finished his third short film, NIGHT and is developing his first feature. He collaborates artistically with his brothers: Saleh, Halah, and Huda. Ever since they made their first film, HOUSE, Ahmad, Saleh, Saed and the entire family made films together and established their own family studio. Inspired by their mother’s hobby of making ceramic flowers, the kids grow loving hand crafts. And that is probably what made building puppets and movie sets the natural medium to tell their stories.

Filmography: 

2021 (debut) Night, Stop Motion Animation, 16’

2016 (graduation film) AYNY – MY SECOND EYE Stop Motion Animation, 11’ 

2015 (student film) MAA BAA Hand Drawn Animation, 6’ 

2012 (student film) HOUSE Stop Motion Animation

Films presented during the performance

01.

House

A film by Ahmad Saleh, Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh, Halah Saleh, Huda Saleh, and their Mother

Produced by Ahmad Saleh, University of the Arts Bremen

2012, Germany, Jordan, 3’50”

For generations, a family lived in a spacious, beautiful and generous house. The generosity of the house had become part of their life. Guests were always welcome to enjoy a pleasant stay. Until one guest arrived with a different plan in mind.

Language: English

Recommended for children under the age of 14: No

Technique: Puppet film, Puppet animation

Team

Voice over: Ulrich Fuchus

Sound: David Black

English translation: Dina Mubaidin

Academic Supervisors: Andrea Sick, Joachim Hofmann

02.

My Second Eye / Ayny

Ahmad Saleh (Fiction 2.0, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Ahmad Saleh)

2016, Germany, Jordan, Palestine, 11′

The mothers stood when the war hit the houses. The children kept dreaming. The houses grew back. The war hit back. The children kept playing. The film is a Gold Winner of Oscar Students Academy Award.

Language: Arabic

Recommended for children under the age of 14: No

Technique: Puppet animation, Live-action, 3D CGI

Team

Written and directed by Ahmad Saleh 

Producer: Stefan Gieren 

Art Director: Jessica Neubauer 

Director of photography: Lionel Poutiaire Some 

Animation: Frank Pingel

Character Design: Sabine Dully

3D animation and models: Claire Steka, Dominic Tiedken

Puppets: Ahmad Saleh, Diana Meneatrev, Jessica Neubauer, Kerstin Gramberg 

Costumes: Kati Ostermann, Nici Lancaster, Carmen Oertwig 

Props: Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh, Frank Pingel, Camilo Colmenares, Shin Moromisato

Light: Mahmoud Belakhel

Sound: David Black

Music: Nizar Rohana 

Academic supervision: Prof. Raimund Krumme, Stephanie Beaugrand, Prof. Sophie Maintigneux, Prof. Zilvinas Lilas, Prof. Katrin Laur, Prof. Markus Busch, Daniela Kinasteder, Christina Elbet // Production coordiators: Naser Abu Zer (Palestine), Saleh Saleh (Jordan) 

Color grading: Quimu Cas, Fabiana Cardala 

Sound recording and mix: Judith Nordbrock, Gerlad Schauder

03.

Night / ل (layl)

Ahmad Saleh, Saed Saleh, Saleh Saleh (SES-Studio, Fabian&Fred)

2021, Germany, Qatar, Palestine, Jordan, 15’57”

The dust of war keeps the eyes sleepless. Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient. Night has to trick her into sleeping to save her soul.

Language: Arabic

Recommeded for children under the age of 14: No

Technique: Puppet animation  

Team 

Writer, Director, Editor: Ahmad Saleh

Producer: Jessica Neubauer, Saleh Saleh, Fabian Driehorst 

Voice Actors: Mother: Hiam Abbas; Night: Rafia Al Hussein; Daughter: Salma Saleh 

Art Director, DOP, Production Design: Saed Saleh 

Animation: Basel Nasr, Leon Vidmar, Saleh Saleh

Music: Suad Bushnaq

Lullaby Singing: Rafia H. Oraidi 

Sound Design: David Black, Marcus Zilz

Sound Mix: Marcus Zilz 

Script Consultant: Selina Ukwuoma

Concept Art: Sae-Yun Jung, Nara Bak, Saleh Saleh

Animatic: Basel Nasr

Interview with Ahmad Saleh (2024): Palestinian Animation at StopTrik: An Interview with Ahmad Saleh

MISSING
By Tariq Rimawi
2010, 3min

A window opens on a child who lives in a war torn area where he longs for his favorite sport football.

Stills:

About Tariq Rimawi

Tariq Rimawi is an independent Jordanian animated film director, scriptwriter, and academic. He graduated with a Master’s in Animation from Newport Film School in the United Kingdom in 2010 and obtained a PhD in Animation from Loughborough University in 2014. His films have received over 40 regional and international awards and have been screened at over 250 international film festivals. In 2016, He established the Animation Department at the University of Petra in Jordan to equip its graduates with the latest storytelling and visual communication techniques. Tariq currently works as the section head of the Multimedia and Production Studio at the Digital Learning and Online Education office at Qatar University.

Filmography: Missing (2010), Growing (2013), Surprise (2016), Zoo (2022)

Website: www.tariqrimawi.com

Love and war

Animationfilm workshops in Gaza. Rasmi Damo and FEKRA (Mohammed Saleh, Alaa Damo in Gaza)

“Love and war – Animation workshop Gaza

Collective work 2025, Palestine, 4’45min

A “making of” film, about kids in Gaza making an animated movie about life ad their fears in Gaza during the war. The animation film made during the workshop comes at the end: “Love and war”.

Made by kids in Gaza:

Jourie Abu Al-Kas, Saba Abu Al-Ata, Aya Abu Mahdi, Aseel Ashour, Talin Abu Eid, Aya Ashour, Suzan Al- Sheikh, Mohammad Abu Khalil, Maysoun Al-Arr, Ahmad Abu Samsoum, Moataz Bakhit, Basmala Al_Shuwaikh, Hala Al- Zayan, Waad Al-Arr, Rimas Abu Mahdi, Rahaf Farwana, Batoul Abu Freih, Sara Abu Khalil, Basma Abu Al-Ka, Marwa Al-Arr, Arwa Al-Arr,

Jourie Bakhit, Rimas Abu Alkas, Suhair Sayed, Rahaf Abu Alkas, Aya Abu Alkas, Nour Abu Alkas, Majda Samsoum, Riham Abu Freij, Sajoud Abu Khalil, Hanin Abu Khalil, Yasmine Abu Dahrouj, Dana Abu Khalil, Raghad Bakhit, Haya Abu Mahadi, Layan Zayed, Marwaft Samsoum, Zahraa Alnabaheen, Zeina Zayed

 Animators: Mohammed Saleh, DOP/editing: Alaa Damo, Artistic supervisor: Rasmi Damo

Film title: “Love and War”

Amid the devastation of war in Gaza, Love and War follows a Palestinian family who chooses generosity over fear. With resources running out and danger all around, the father shares the last of their flour with neighbors, trusting that goodness will return. His wife and children stand by his decision, embracing hope over survival instinct.

When their own food runs out, their kindness is repaired, another family offers them a small amount of flour. They bake bread and, once again, choose to share it.

The film explores how compassion, solidarity, and cultural identity endure through hardship. A traditional Palestinian folk song underscores the message: unity and shared values are a form of resistance, and humanity survives when love leads the way.

Find out more: FEKRA FRANCE

Stills:

About the mentors

Rasmi Damo is Director General at ‎Fekra Arts Institute. Rasmi Damo, Palestinian from Gaza, holding BA in nursing and a Diploma in arts therapy and professional training on Arts Performance and cultural activities. Over the last 20 years,he directed several animation short films. He is pioneered ground-breaking animation and creative art projects for children who had witnessed bombings, murder, warfare, displacement, imprisonment, and violence that children should never be witness to. Since  2001 he created and managed a theatre company, curated cultural events, wrote animation films and produced political theatre in Gaza. In 2016 he produced an animation book, which illustrates his experience of using animation film techniques and methodology to achieve social healing. In 2020 he created and managed a culture company in France to contribute to challenges faced by migrant children in Europe, using animation films educational methodology.

Fekra

Who are we – story

Fekra – means idea.

We are an arts and theatre organization that has been supporting freedom, peace, child rights and the creative arts in Gaza since 2001. We support ideas, we support children, we support freedom.

Through our art, through our imagination – we can express hope and love. We believe art can heal children, the connections made through the telling of stories and communicating about trauma, children can pave a way back to themselves, to find joy, to find hope. To be resilient. Children can begin to handle all the mess and devastation that is happening around them – the mess created by adults.

We started as a theatre organization. We ran Gaza’s only independent theatre until it was closed down in 2012. Our director and playwright, Rasmi Damo, wrote and presented plays of immense courage. His plays have bold and powerful messages. They promote women’s rights, Fekra put women on the stage in an increasingly conservative and patriarchal environment during the rise of Hamas. Rasmi wrote courageous satirical works illuminating the hypocrisies of the violent forces influencing the people of Gaza – Hamas, Fateh, Israel, and America. His bold work questioned interpretations of Islam, Christianity and human rights in an environment where questions were not tolerated, where subordination to authority was tantamount to survival.

Beyond the theatre, for more than 20 years, Fekra Arts Institute used art and creativity to oppose war, conflict and violence. Fekra curated cultural events, wrote and produced songs, dance, animation films and implemented a groundbreaking stop motion animation program that supported the healing of children. Fekra received funding from international donors, the UN and international NGOs. It grew to an organization of 20 artists and administrators. Rasmi’s life’s work has been to use art and performance to expand the mind and soul, to heal, to build community and promote peace.

In 2018 Rasmi was forced to flee Gaza when threats to his life made it unsafe for him and his family. His work was too controversial, his art was too confronting. He now lives in France with his three children and wife. But his wider family, the twenty artists and animators that made up Fekra Arts Institute live on in Gaza.

Why art, why theatre? How can it possibly help children in Gaza right now?

The money raised will support the ongoing activity in Gaza. We create stop gap animation films, or small plays. These processes have been tried and tested during and after each and every invasion of Gaza over the past 20 years.  Fekra did it following Israel’s Operation cast lead – the 2008-9 invasion of our country; after Israel’s operation pillar of Defense’ – their 2012 invasion of Gaza; after ‘operation Protective Edge’ – Israel’s 2014 invasion of Gaza; after their Operation Black Belt’ – the 2019 invasion. We are doing it now amidst Israel’s attempted genocide of Gaza – we will continue after all the failures of all the politicians and soldiers.

During the process of telling their stories, children find comfort in one another, they share, they play, they laugh, they cry. They learn new skills and they make something they are proud of. Showing it to their families and the world gives them voice, gives their story freedom. The stories are often harrowing. It does not change the circumstances of their suffering, but it frees their mind – for a moment or more. It is a powerful process.

The children of Gaza need everything right now… The situation is overwhelming. Their homes have been destroyed, many of their parents, friends and loved ones murdered, their schools and hospitals demolished, they are hungry and thirsty, they are scared. They have no hope.

In times of conflict and war, you are often defined by what you are not. So let us start there – Fekra are not politicians with the power to end the war; Fekra aren’t aid workers trying to bring in life saving food and supplies; Fekra aren’t doctors nor nurses with the clinical skills needed to heal broken bodies. Fekra are not fighters with guns to fight. Fekra is not hungry for money or power. Fekra is, literally, an idea. Fekra trades in ideas – ideas of peace, love, humanity, joy, laughter. Fekra doesn’t want anything for the children and people of Gaza but to let them live and be free. Fekra are story tellers and artists. Fekra are brave courageous humans living in the worst of times trying to plant flowers in the minds of children ravaged by war and hatred.

What we know is that children need to find ways to tell their stories, to process their pain, to make sense of their losses, to find hope, to smile again. Children need art, they need creativity, they need to engage with their imagination – now more than ever – to escape the horrors they see every day.

OTHER WORK BY FEKRA IN GAZA

Our Story

Collective work 2015, Palestine, 6’52’’

The story is set in traditional village in Palestine. We follow the palestinian people, from their expulsion from the land in 1948 in the Nakba, displacement in tents, and the separation from their land by the Apartheid wall. The film shows cultural and people´s resistance in the face of war and occupation. Technique: cutout.

Teams:

Directed by Rasmi Damo.

Cast: Story by children:

Hala Abu Linda

Lubna Al – Shourafa

Yousef Ibrahim

Aya Abu Shahla

Amro  Abu Shahla

Mohammed Abu Zaher

Abed ElRahman Damo

Yafa Al- Mashrwai

Story Editor: Suhail Al- Salmi

Painter: Jameel El- Geeg

Animators: Emad Zaqut, Khames Mashharawi

Editor: Mohammed Al-Khaldi

Mixing: Ahmed Al-Khaldi

Music selection: Nedal Damo, Mohammed Saleh

Song lyrics: Ibrahim Musain

Mong melodies: Moneim Adwan

Singer: Rola Srour

Director: Rasmi Damo

The Suitcase / الحقيبة

Basel Nasr (Almasna – Animation Factory)

Director: Collective direction by the participating children, facilitated by Almasna

Production: masna alrusoom almutharrikah (The Animation Factory)

Distributed by Palestine Animated

2024, Palestine, 2’28’’

“A Palestinian refugee’s suitcase bursts open on its own, spilling out a hidden world of memory and resistance, refusing to remain silent in exile”.

Original Language: Arabic
Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes
Technique: Stopmotion
Dialogue: none
Format: Full HD

Team:
Participants: Iyad saleh , Elien Abu Odeh , Mohammed Harfoush , Eid Bdha , Fatima Dar Mousa , Hala Jabarin , Leen Najieb , Khalid Al-khadir , Nadeen Badha , Abdul Rahman Matar , Adham Abu Hamoud , Ameer Ata , Raghad Kahla , Mahmoud Alqam , Omar Mafarja , Jawan Nouman , Mohamed Atta , Abdullah Harfoush , Mahmoud Nazzal , Ibrahim Faqeh , Hanadi Hamad , Mennah Khasib , Ahmad Alkhadir , Arwa Harfoush , Nisreen Alqam , Jameela Hinnawi , Manal Enjas , Basma Fwalha , Deema Abed , Rowan Hindia , Awni Rabea ,Mounts Abdullatif , Ahmad Hijazi , Yahia Hijazi , Mohamed Ghazzawi, Shahd Fawalha , Kareem Shokha , Deema Shokha , Fatima Alrub , Faris Kahla , Rayan Alfaqeh , Hala Alfroukh , Yaqeen Atta
Trainers: Basel Nasr, Mohamed Bishara, Bahir Massad, Jack
Supervision: Asmahan Asfour

About Basel Nasr / Almasna
Basel Nasr is a Designer and Producer working in the field of Animation, Illustration and interactive design. Nasr earned a BSc in Architecture from Birzeit University In 2003. In 2005 Along with a group of young artists, Nasr established ZAN Studio; a multi-discipline art studio specialized in digital art and new media, working on a range of Animation, Interactive and Visual Art projects. In 2008 he received a scholarship from HQSF to pursue his Master’s degree in Animation from the University of California Los Angeles. During his study, Nasr also had the chance to work in two companies as an Interactive Designer for tablet and online children content. After his return to Palestine in 2013, Nasr founded maṣna‘ al rusūm al mutaḥarrikah, an Animation and Interactive Studio.
Basel Nasr is one of our 2022 AFIELD fellows, based in Ramallah, Palestine. Animator, producer and trainer, Basel Nasr founded the initiative “Almasna : The Animation Factory”, in 2015 as a collaborative studio that uses animation to tell stories inspired by daily life, and create videos that help raise awareness about local issues calling for political and social change. In 2022, they also established “The Almasna Workshop”, a space for learning, experimentation and training in the field of animation. Their aim is to promote animation as an ever-evolving art form, and to help develop this art into an industry in Palestine.

Find out more: AFIELD
Meet Basel Nasr

Homland

By Faiza Afifi

2024, 1:54min

“In a land we call home, a fish navigates the confines of a small glass tank, its eyes fixated on landscapes in the last lines in the glass. Trying to reach beyond, she swims slowly and then in a frenzy towards the illusion of open spaces, only to collide with the transparent barrier. As we venture through the fish’s perspective, the land undergoes surreal events until it becomes an abstracted from within.

In this homeland, a fish imprisoned in a tank becomes a journey where the land dissolves, carrying within it the countless roots over centuries, undergoing cycles of death and rebirth in new forms”.

Language: None

Recommended for children under 14 years of age: Yes

Technique: 2D

Team: 

Directed, written and animated by: Faiza Afifi 

Stills:

About Faiza al Afifi

Is a Palestinian artist, Gaza-born and currently based in Paris. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Design and Visual Arts from Birzeit University in July 2023. Her work has been presented at the Palestine Cinema Days Refugee Film Festival November 2023, the Arab World Institute in Paris June 2025, Grey Space in The Hague February 2024, and Gallery One in Ramallah may 2024.
Working across drawing, animation, visual art, and occasional fashion design, her practice is open and evolving. Rather than adhering to a fixed medium or aesthetic, she is in an ongoing process of gathering and connecting strands of her work seeking new relationships between form, memory, and expression. My work is rooted in memory, and movement. Since childhood, my surroundings have been a
continuous source of inspiration. I carry two overlapping frames in my mind: one of the place I used to live, and one of what surrounds me now. I exist in the in-between where memory collides with time, space, and distance. This space fuels my work and forms the basis of my visual language. I’m drawn to movement, storytelling, and the emotional weight held within still and moving images. Whether through drawing, animation, or visual experimentation, I explore how personal and collective memory can be preserved, transformed, and shared. Art, for me, is not just a means of expression, it is a way of archiving meanings, bridging cultures, and carrying stories across generations. Having experienced displacement more than once, my work often returns to questions of identity, belonging, and home. I use visual forms to document untold narratives and to give shape to a sense of place that is both lost and continually reimagined.

More info Faiza Afifi