Filmmakers highlight power of cinema to address misconceptions

Two filmmakers who screened their Doha Film Institute (DFI) supported films Monday before 613 young jurors at the Special Edition of the 10th Ajyal Film Festival, underlined the power of cinema to address misconceptions, promote a deeper understanding of human suffering and build empathy. Kash Kash – Without Feathers We Can’t Live (Germany, Lebanon, Qatar/ 2022), directed by Lea Najjar, a documentary set in Beirut; and Rest in Piece (Germany, France, Qatar/2021), a stop-motion picture by Antoine Antabi about the courage and resilience of displaced people, present a universal theme – of discovering hope amidst hopelessness.“What matters is to continue to make films that will help us take the message to new and wider audiences, so that we can change the way they look at some of the most pressing issues today, such as the refugee crisis,” said Antabi.Najjar said films are communicative tools that help build bridges, despite the different paths that people take in their lives. “After screening my film in Europe, I was surprised to learn that despite the viewers having no biological connection with the Middle East, they could still form an emotional bond. That is what films can do – create empathy and understanding – so that viewers do not feel it is someone else’s story. They feel the joy and suffering of the people who are far away from their cultures,” she explained.Both the filmmakers said the support extended by the DFI in realising their projects was invaluable. Antabi said that his film is a message on the need to hold on to hope, look for new beginnings and stay optimistic. “Life will go on and we must be strong or else we will collapse as a society,” he explained.Najjar said her film also conveys the message of hope and resilience, presented through the eyes of three protagonists, who find peace and empowerment as they scale the roofs of Beirut’s building to pursue their passion for pigeon gaming. The film presents rich metaphors of how people are curtailed by personal freedom and builds on the innate wish of every individual to be free. Lea NajjarAntabitarget="_blank"'>