R21 AKA RESTORING SOLIDARITY
dir. Mohanad Yaqubi, 2022
Qatar/Palestine/Belgium. 71 min.
English, Japanese, and Arabic with English Subtitles.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 - 8pm
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 - 7:30pm
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 - 10pm

The growing struggle for Palestinian self-determination between 1960 and 1980 was supported by radical left-wing movements worldwide, including Japan. This is illustrated by a collection of 16mm films by militant filmmakers from various countries, which were dubbed and screened in Japan. Following the events of WWII, Japanese audiences felt oppressed by the US, and not only sympathized but also identified with the Palestinians.

Stylistically, the films vary widely. They include interviews with PLO leaders, documentary impressions of life in refugee camps, experimental films, and instructional films for tourism purposes. Mohanad Yaqubi has drawn on this material to create a film that might be seen as a conclusion or epilogue. He shows how two very different peoples can feel connected through images, and also raises questions. Where is the line between support and propaganda? And to what extent can a local struggle be translated internationally? 
-Collective Eye Films