GAZA: With car tires, rocks and mounds of sand as seats, Palestinians of all ages have been enjoying a rare trip to the movies at a big-screen event on the Gaza beachfront.
The open-air show — with a playlist including the animated children’s comedy “Ferdinand” — was for many viewers a first experience of a projected film since the impoverished enclave’s last cinema closed more than three decades ago.
Hosted by “The Sea is Ours” cafe, the screenings were designed to promote issues of culture and history approved by the conservative Islamist Hamas government.
They left some in the audience longing for more.
“I hope one day there will be a cinema, so I can go to the cinema and eat popcorn,” said 13-year-old Mohammad Zidan as other children lolled in the sand, giggling at the cartoon.
Cinema once flourished in Gaza, with Palestinians flocking to see Arab, Western and Asian films, but the movie houses were torched in the First Intifada in 1987 and then burned down again in 1996 during a wave of internal violence.
The last cinema, long abandoned, is now a haven for bats.
While Gazans have been able to go to movie screenings which are held from time to time at theaters and other venues, such a full bill of films, being shown over several weeks at the venue, is a rare treat.
“We can get movies on mobile phones, but this is something new and is nice,” said 15-year-old Hadeel Hejji.
Ali Mhana, 35, the cafe owner and local playwright, said he had never been to a regular cinema.
“At the sea, you don’t need to look for an audience, the sea has its own. People are here all the time, including children, who get attracted by the sound and image and come to watch the movies,” Mhana said.
Seaside screen brings magic of movies to Gaza years after cinemas closed
https://arab.news/jcgna
Seaside screen brings magic of movies to Gaza years after cinemas closed
- The screenings hosted by “The Sea is Ours” cafe are designed to promote issues of culture and history
Essex man takes on charity endurance challenge for children in Gaza
- Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual Sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 2,287 miles
LONDON: A man in England has launched a demanding charity challenge to raise funds for children affected by the war in Gaza.
Mark Watson, 63, is undertaking a “virtual sumud” journey from his Essex home town in Harlow to Gaza, covering 3,680 km running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing.
He is raising money for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a UK-based humanitarian organization that provides healthcare to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied territories.
“I have felt helpless day after day seeing images of countless children in Gaza with broken bodies and missing limbs and witnessing their unbearable suffering,” Watson said on his JustGiving page.
“I have been inspired by the courage of those who took part in the global sumud flotilla and all of the activists who have put their lives and freedom at risk supporting the Palestinian people and so I am raising funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians.
“My challenge is to complete a virtual sumud from Harlow, where I live, to Gaza. Running, walking, swimming, cycling and rowing I will cover the 2,287 miles as quickly as I can.
“I am an unfit, overweight 63-year-old, so I’m not going to break any records, but the Arabic word Sumud means steadfastness and perseverance, and I will give it my all.
Watson added: “I hope to be joined by people I love and admire along the way, so please support my fundraiser. Every donation, however small, will help save the lives of Palestinians.”
As of Jan. 3, his fundraising effort had reached 12 per cent of its £5,000 ($6,733) target.
The war in Gaza began after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel responded with a large-scale military campaign in Gaza, which local health authorities say has resulted in the deaths of more than 71,000 Palestinians, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure and a severe humanitarian crisis.
International aid agencies have repeatedly said that children are among the most affected, facing injury, displacement, malnutrition and limited access to medical care.
Watson said he was inspired by activists and humanitarian efforts supporting Palestinians and hopes his challenge can make a small contribution to saving lives.
