Dialogue: following the screening will be a Q&A.
Sunday, April 12, 4:00 p.m. | Upon returning to his Palestinian hometown, former activist Shadi grapples with conflicting family expectations and the painful realization that local resistance to the occupation has waned. Disillusioned by his homecoming, he retreats to his peaceful life in France, left to question whether his ongoing exile is a surrender or an accomplishment. Dialogue: following the screening there will be a Q&A.
Preceded by:
FRAGMENTED
2025, dir. Balolas Carvalho and Tanya Marar, 7 min, Palestine, Portugal, UK, In English
After being forced to flee Gaza, Qassem grapples with the weight of exile, torn between survival and the life he left behind. Through fractured memories, hope, and trauma, his story unfolds, offering an intimate portrait of displacement, resilience, and the lingering echoes of a homeland that is constantly being taken away.
SANCTUARY
2024, dir. Mena Nasiri, 8 min, USA, In English
Exploring police brutality and institutional hostility towards Arab and Muslim students, this documentary reveals how the University of Michigan's broad trends of surveillance transform a sanctuary into a symbol of systemic oppression.
THE SILENCE THEY TAUGHT US
2025, dir. Paula Sahyoun, 9 min, Canada, In English and Arabic with English subtitles
The Silence They Taught Us is an autobiographical documentary short following Paula, a Palestinian-Canadian professional in Toronto, as she confronts the cost of silence in the face of anti-Palestinian racism.
MORGENKREIS (MORNING CIRCLE)
2025, dir. Basma al-Sharif, 21 min, Canada, UAE, In Armenian, Arabic, and German with English subtitles
A short visceral narrative film unfolds in three parts to describe loss. From our earliest experience of separation to the imperceptible violence associated with integrating to a new country when yours is no longer livable, Morgenkreis follows a father and son in their intimate rituals as they prepare to start the day and head to kindergarten. Director Basma al-Sharif will be present.
Chicago Palestine Film Festival | April 11–25, 2026
Founded in 2001, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival (CPFF), a program of the Middle East Charitable and Cultural Society Inc., a non-profit organization, is an annual cultural event that serves as a vibrant platform for showcasing the rich and diverse narratives of Palestinian cinema. Film synopses provided by CPFF. Learn more at palestinefilmfest.com.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu