FilmHouse is the SFFILM community hub for filmmakers to work and collaborate, and where we host events that bring people together through film. Last Thursday night, SFFILM welcomed guests at FilmHouse for an evening of Palestinian film, conversation, and connection. The Arab Film & Media Institute (AFMI) selected a short film for the program, and then we heard from SFFILM FilmHouse Resident and Mexican-Palestinian American filmmaker Colette Ghunim for a sneak peek at her in-progress feature documentary Traces of Home.
A Space for Connection and Community Care
Guests began arriving to FilmHouse in the early evening, gamely dodging the persistent winter rains. They were welcomed with food and drinks, and time to say hello to old and new friends before the program began. We hit capacity and settled in. Masashi Niwano, the Director of Artist Development took the mic and explained how the program came together as a collaboration between SFFILM staff and Serge Bakalian, the Executive Director of AFMI. Masashi explained, “We at SFFILM have been processing all of the tragic news happening in the Middle East and navigating ways we can be helpful and contribute to our community. SFFILM believes in the power of cinema and understands that telling stories and exploring timely topics through film is vital. Our mission is to continue to nurture, support, and exhibit independent storytellers. Tonight’s program celebrates two films and filmmakers that are uniquely bold and powerful. Although different from each other, we feel that this pairing is a way to showcase the diversity in stories and creativity that center on Palestinians and Palestinian Americans.”
Masashi then introduced Serge, who told the gathering about his selected short called Ambience by Palestinian filmmaker Wisam Al-Jafari. It tells the story of two young Palestinians trying to record a demo for a music competition inside a noisy, crowded refugee camp. Serge DM’d with Wisam who was home in Jenin earlier in the day to let him know we’d be screening the film, a true honor for SFFILM since it had premiered, “at a little festival in France.” (Serge was of course referring to the film’s award-winning performance at Cannes!)
After the short film, Masashi welcomed 2024 FilmHouse Resident Colette Ghunim to the front for conversation and Q&A. Colette shared an in-progress trailer for her documentary Traces of Home, a personal story where Colette embarks on journeys with her parents to find the ancestral homes they fled from as children in both Mexico (mother), and Palestine (father). She explains, “…the film then becomes this healing journey of me figuring out where home is for myself through the journeys of us returning to Mexico and Palestine.” Below are some highlights from their conversation, lightly edited for clarity.
In Conversation with Filmmaker Colette Ghunim
Because Colette’s film is intensely personal, but feels incredibly urgent and relevant globally, Masashi asked Colette, “How do you as a filmmaker balance what is true to your story and what’s unique, but then also making a film that can kind of connect with people outside and represent a larger community?” Her responses were enlightening and generous, “the thing that is really fascinating about film is that the more intimate we go and the more personal that we go, that’s how we’re actually able to create it to be more universal. There’s this intergenerational trauma piece that is the core message of the film, but especially now with what’s happening in Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, that it has now become a tool to show my dad’s story, and give context to what has been happening for the past 75 years. And that people don’t realize that this is not something that just happened on October 7. And so through this very intimate story of us returning, it is now going to the global space of understanding the context of the occupation and the siege.”
Colette also explained that even in the face of the horrific violence and grief she came to understand her role as a filmmaker and storyteller to be essential and will, “create the long term narrative change that is needed to create the liberation of Palestine and that and the whole world. This is why I feel the mode of film is just so powerful and, and art in general, that it allows us to open up about these things in ways that we wouldn’t be able to if it was just political activism and just protests.”
She also regaled us with tales of guerilla documentary filmmaking, and is looking ahead to completing and releasing the film this year with an impact campaign to follow at colleges and universities. The film is a co-production with Kartemquin Films and funded by Latino Public Broadcasting, among others.
We are so grateful to Wisam for sharing his film with us from afar, and for Serge and Colette’s time being in community with us. Film is our favorite connection point. We look forward to the next one!
About The Author
Justine Hebron is the Director of External Relations at SFFILM where she leads the communications, marketing, cultural, and PR strategy. For over a decade, Justine worked in feature film production on films like The Patriot, Mystery Men, The Replacement Killers, and Anaconda. An interest in organizing and cultural strategy moved her into nonprofit communications where she worked with people and organizations including Tom Steyer’s Next Generation, Hillary Rodham Clinton and The Clinton Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Propper Daley, Mom 2.0, Ford Foundation, The Opportunity Agenda, and more.
Justine was born in New York City, and grew up in Telluride, Colorado and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She received her BA in English from San Diego State University and is a trained high school teacher.
Stay In Touch With SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM works hard to bring the most exciting films and filmmakers to Bay Area movie lovers. To be the first to know what’s coming sign up for our email alerts and watch your inbox for what’s coming next.
