58 minutes / Color
Arabic / English subtitles
Release: 1996
Copyright: 1996
The Gaza Strip endured 27 years of Israeli occupation and a prolonged Palestinian uprising. It is now partially administered by the Palestinian National Authority. This film takes us behind the scenes and reveals for the first time the hidden lives of the Palestinian women who live there.
Through a series of remarkable personal accounts, fifteen women reveal their roles in a patriarchal Islamic society where men dictate most aspects of life. The film shows the resilience and courage of women who, despite very difficult circumstances, all speak with enormous dignity and grace. Together they give an in depth picture of the complexity and pathos of women's lives in this very restrictive traditional society.
"A beautifully crafted work. It's wonderfully shot, and edited to a rhythm that perfectly matches the subject matter. The faces of those extraordinary women still haunt me; their dignity and bravery preserved forever, their voices and incredible stories keep surfacing to my consciousness."- Mike Hodges (Croupier)