#iyad alasttal

[nietp]

I finally saw the franco-palestinian documentary Yallah Gaza, which came out in France in November but has not been screened widely due to cancellations as the movie was seen as too "militant" and critical of Israel. A long-planned screening at the French Parliament on October 9th caused outrage because Palestinian activist and PFLP fighter Maryam Abu Daqqa, who is interviewed in the movie, was invited to speak there. She was forbidden to enter the building and was deported a month later. The film was also criticized for featuring interviews of Palestinian artists and Dabke dancers instead of only interviews of Western academics and journalists. Another absurd argument was that the french director did not film the images himself and therefore couldn't present an objective movie, when the reason for this was obviously because Israeli authorities didn't allow the French team to enter Gaza. The film was therefore made in collaboration with a Palestinian team led by director Iyad Alasttal. The film was finished at the beginning of 2023, and director Roland Nurier has said in November that he's deeply worried as he has lost contact with part of the team.

Despite all of this, this documentary is a rare and necessary testimony. Armed resistance is presented as a valid and logical solution to the zionist occupation, a Hamas minister is interviewed not as a terrorist but as a politician, and parallels are drawn between the Palestinian resistance and other fights against colonialism and occupation in the past. I don't think I've seen any Western media assuming this stance, the only acceptable one in this situation, aside from my own social media bubble. The documentary seems to only be available in French cinemas for now but I encourage everyone to watch the trailer at least, and watch the movie if it ever becomes available where you live.

Here is a picture of the Palestinian filming team: