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The screening of the film will be followed by Q&As and discussions with film director Fida Qishta.

About the Film

Where Should the Birds Fly is the first film about Gaza made by Palestinians living the reality of Israel's siege and blockade of this tiny enclave. It is the story of two young women, survivors of Israel's Operation Cast Lead. Mona Samouni, now nineteen years old and the filmmaker, Fida Qishta, now thirty-five. They represent the spirit and future of Palestinians. It reveals the strength and hope, the humanity and humor that flourishes among the people of Gaza. Few films document so powerfully and personally the impact of modern warfare and sanctions on a civilian population.

About the Filmmaker

Fida Qishta is a Palestinian filmmaker, born in Rafah City in the south of Gaza. Since 2006 she has worked as a journalist, producing news stories and documentaries in Gaza. Her articles have appeared in the UK Observer and Guardian newspapers and the International Herald Tribune. She is a qualified teacher and in 2004 founded the Life Makers Center in Rafah, Gaza to teach English and drama to traumatized children. In this film, Fida has documented the horrific Israeli invasion and bombardment of Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. She and her crew of young videographers kept their cameras rolling for months, recording the struggle of the people of Gaza to retrieve some sense of normalcy from the absolute abnormality of life in the world’s largest prison camp, sealed off on all sides by Israeli and Egyptian walls, barbed wire, and the military. Where Should The Birds Fly is her first feature documentary film.