Gathered in Love and Rage: Palestinian Film Showcase
Presented by Batikh Batikh
DECEMBER 15th at Vox Populi 6:30 PM
In lieu of ticketing prices, attendees will be asked to reserve their tickets by demonstrating proof of calling, texting, or faxing your representatives at least five times. All information for ticketing instructions can be found through this registration link: https://forms.gle/tqxH9CLbpNcYX3cu6
Taken from Philadelphia-based human rights attorney, Noura Erakat’s speech on November 3rd, during the protest in solidarity with Palestine, the title encapsulates the project’s concept and curatorial theme. Gathered is a film program, showing at three different Philadelphia venues (Vox Populi Gallery on 12/15, Asian Arts Initiative on 12/16, Making Worlds Bookstore on 1/14) including short works by contemporary women and LGBTQ+ Palestinian independent filmmakers. These films comment on the current moment, exploring orientalism in the media and reminding us of our justified collective rage, while featured love stories and experimental, queer, and personal narratives, provide a cathartic grieving space for the SWANA and Palestinian community, as we stand in awe of all that Palestinians are teaching us daily about love and community. Because entry and ticketing for each event is based on producing proof of five days of calling attendee’s local representatives, Batikh Batikh will hold the Philadelphia community accountable for continuing the fight for the Palestinian lives as we host their cinema.
Featuring the following artists: Noor Abed, Suha Araj, Tara Hakim, Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller, Saleh Saadi, Razan AlSalah, Jackie Reem Salloum
Drinks will be available for purchase at the Vox Populi Event with all proceeds going to the Palestinian Youth Movement. Fortune/Many Folds Press has printed their resource and protest posters for event attendees for FREE until they run out!
In lieu of ticketing prices, attendees will be asked to reserve their tickets by demonstrating proof of calling, texting, or faxing your representatives at least five times. Over the course of five days, there should be three screenshots from the last three weeks for every day reflecting an attendee who has contacted their congressperson and house representatives. All information for ticketing instructions can be found through this registration link: https://forms.gle/tqxH9CLbpNcYX3cu6
Unless you hear from venue or Batikh Batikh staff your ticket is confirmed. Additional donations are welcomed and will go to the Palestinian Youth Movement.
Batikh Batikh (BB) is a pop-up cinema and gallery that rents spaces to bring SWANA* (South-West Asian North African) cinema to Philadelphia and exhibit solo exhibitions of local emerging SWANA women and queer artists. SWANA is a term used to replace the colonial term “the Middle East,” and more clearly recognizes the specific region and its diverse communities. BB was started in November of 2022 by filmmaker and curator Sarah Trad in a response to an alarming lack of SWANA related programming both locally and internationally as well as censorship over pro-Palestinian voices. BB is run by SWANA women and queer artist volunteers and is based on a decolonial and anti-capitalist art model, all art is free to the public and featured artists are paid for their work. Proceeds accumulated during BB programming go directly back to artists or mutual aid requests. Batikh Batikh is named after the Arabic word for watermelon as a way to designate its programming as a safe and anti-zionist space for its community.