Palestinian Cinema: A Guardian of Palestinian Identity, Doomed by Hope

Abstract

This paper focuses on Palestinian cinema and the role that it has played in seeking to protect Palestinian identity. As a result of the failure of their national aspirations, Palestinians—now living under Israeli occupation—are suffering from discrimination and the threat of ethnic cleansing. In addressing transnational publics filmmakers seek to protect Palestinian identity from extinction. Directors of Palestinian films have utilized certain symbols, such as memory, land, weddings, and resistance, in an attempt to identify, highlight, and preserve a Palestinian identity through their films. Symbols have become a fundamental part of Palestinian films because of the authentic image that they project to a global audience. I analyze common themes and tools that were used to paint a distinctively Palestinian identity.