Cinema Sabaya

Hoping to learn some basic filming techniques, several Arabic and Jewish women partake in a video workshop taught by young Rona. She teaches them how they can show parts of their own lives. Each and every one of them are women who want to share their story, but are afraid or unable to do so from a first person’s perspective. The camera gives them that possibility. They show each other footage which they shot at home. After watching the footage, the women talk, get to know each other, ask questions, give advice and laugh. In spite of their big differences, the women grow closer. As a viewer, you witness an intimate and inspiring portrait of the mainly hidden daily life of Jewish and Palestinian women and an honest tribute to the uniting power of art. The film does not provide us with any easy answers to the complex circumstances with which these women are confronted. The film effortlessly manoeuvres between the weight of the conversations and the sincere joy of this special group of women.

The film is based on the experiences of the film maker, who taught similar workshops. This exploration of how fun it is to learn how to see and how to be seen is as complex as it is powerful.