Saturday, April 19, 1:00 p.m. | After years of right-wing criticisms on higher education, attacks took a new form in 2023 and 2024. THE PALESTINE EXCEPTION documents professors and students as they join calls for a ceasefire and face waves of crackdown from administrators, the media, the police, and politicians. Scholars from diverse disciplines explain what is at stake in these protests and why so many young people identify with the Palestinian cause. Preceded by SALT (2023, dir. Mateusz Miszczynski, 6 min.), SIRI MIRI (2021, dir. Luay Awwad, 6 min.), and THE DEER’S TOOTH (2024, dir. Saif Hammash, 16 min.). This presentation will include a filmmaker Q&A.

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