Description

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This book is an account of the creation of the Palestine Film Unit (PFU) and the stories of its founding members, from the initial development of a photography department in the early years of the Palestinian revolution (1967-1968) to its evolution in the mid-1970s into the Palestinian Cinema Institution. Author Khadijeh Habashneh weaves her own memories into excerpts from letters and other communications of survivors, friends and PFU members, accompanied by scholarly analysis of the work and contributions of this remarkable film movement from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. As such, this book offers a unique perspective on this aspect of Palestine film history - which ended in mid-1980s with the loss of its archive - providing details that have not been previously published in English.

About the Author

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Khadijeh Habashneh (also known as Khadijeh Abu Ali) is a researcher, film maker, and activist for women's rights and human rights. She worked as a volunteer with the PFU, and became an integral member in 1974, when the unit evolved into the Palestinian Cinema Institution (PCI). From 1976-1982, she worked as the head of the Archive and Cinematheque of the PCI, and wrote and directed two documentaries, including Children Without Childhood, also known as Children Nevertheless. Habashneh has also worked extensively on women's issues. She was a founding member of the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), in which she served as an executive member from 1980-2009, as well as the Center for Women's Studies in Jordan, where she served as vice president from 1989-1997. She has also taught and published several books and articles in this field. Translator Nadine Fattaleh, currently a PHD student in Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University, has an M.S. in Architecture from Columbia University, and previously worked on projects for spatial research at the MMAG Foundation for Art and Culture in Jordan. Translation Editor Samirah Alkassim, an assistant professor in the Film and Video Studies program at George Mason University, writes about Arab cinema and co-edits the Palgrave Studies on Arab Cinema