In the summer of 1982, the Israeli army invaded Beirut. During this time, it raided the Palestinian Research Center and looted its entire archive. The archive contained historical documents of Palestine, including a collection of still and moving images. Taking this as a premise, A Fidai Film aims to create a counter-narrative to this loss, presenting a form of cinematic sabotage that seeks to reclaim and restore the looted memories of Palestinian history. It’s a poignant exploration of identity, memory, and resistance, told through a unique blend of documentary and experimental filmmaking techniques.

Cast & Crew
Producers: Kamal Aljafari, Flavia Mazzarino
Director: Kamal Aljafari
Script: Kamal Aljafari
Director of Photography: Kamal Aljafari
Music: Simon Fisher Turner
Sound: Attila Faravelli, Jochen Jezussek
Editor: Kamal Aljafari, Yannig Willmann
Production: Kamal Aljafari Productions

Awards
Jury Prize, Burning Lights Competition, Visions du Réel, Switzerland, 2024

Kamal Aljafari
Kamal Aljafari is a Palestinian filmmaker renowned for his distinctive approach to cinema. After studying at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, he now resides in Berlin. Aljafari has shared his expertise in filmmaking through teaching positions at The New School in New York and the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie in Berlin. His installation The Camera of the Dispossessed was showcased at the 35th Bienale de São Paulo (2023).  In 2024, IndieLisboa will highlight his contributions to cinema by dedicating its retrospective section to his work and it will take place at the Portuguese cinematheque.

Filmography
Visit Iraq (short, 2003), The Roof (2006), Balconies (short, 2007), Port of Memory (2010), Recollection (2015), It’s a Long Way from Amphioxus (short, 2019), An Unusual Summer (2020), Paradiso, XXXI, 108 (short, 2023), UNDR (short, 2024), A Fidai Film (2024).