UK Premiere: Born in Gaza + Q&A

This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Hernan Zin.

Filmed during the 2014 siege of Gaza, which left 507 children dead and 3,598 wounded, Born in Gaza follows a group of young children growing up in a war zone. The film examines the widespread psychological trauma experienced by adolescents coping with injury, fear, and the loss of loved ones. It is estimated that 400,000 children in Gaza are in desperate need of psychological support.

‘We were eight kids on the beach. We came to play football’ recalls Hamada, 13. Then the shelling started. Four boys, all aged between nine and eleven, were killed. Motasem, 11, and Hamada were wounded. ‘I may need to go abroad for surgery’ states Motasem. ‘I have shrapnel in my back, hands and legs’.

Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, six year old Bisan finds it increasingly difficult to communicate. ‘She does not talk to us about what happened’ says one of her friends. ‘If anyone asks, she gets mad’.

Through observational footage and interviews Hernan Zin provides, with sensitivity, individual stories that go far beyond news coverage of the events and offer children the opportunity to be heard. In doing so, he also provides space for dialogue and healing. ‘The situation is really complicated. We have a war every two years’, states 13 year old Mohamed. ‘I often think about our situation and I never see the end’.

Directed by Hernan Zin
Produced by La Claqueta & Contramedia Films
Duration: 74′
Year: 2014