Palestine’s Official Selection for the 97th Academy Awards (2025)

Sunday, January 12, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.

Doors at 5:00 p.m. | Planet Ant, 2320 Caniff, Hamtramck

A collection of revealing stories from 22 Palestinian filmmakers capturing their lives in Gaza amidst war.

Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza gives Gazan filmmakers a platform to tell the untold stories of the current war. Each film, ranging in length from 3 to 6 minutes, presents a unique perspective on the current reality. The project captures the diverse experiences of life in the Palestinian enclave, including the challenges, tragedies and moments of resilience faced by its people. Using a mix of genres including fiction, documentary, docu-fiction, animation and experimental cinema, From Ground Zero presents a rich diversity of stories that reflect the sorrow, joy and hope inherent in Gazan life. Despite the harsh filming conditions, Gaza’s vibrant artistic scene shines through this collection, offering an intimate and powerful portrait of daily life and the enduring spirit of its people.

Gaza. 2024.
Various directors.
In Arabic with English subtitles.
Running time 115 min.

From Ground Zero is the first release from Watermelon Pictures, a newly created, Palestinian-owned film production and distribution company rooted in creative resistance. Watermelon’s mission is to champion unheard voices and to inspire the world to stand up to injustice and imagine our way into a shared, liberated future. Their aim to entertain audiences and enrich the cultural landscape by promoting stories that reflect the perspectives and experiences of Palestinians as well as other marginalized groups around the world.

February 9

February 23

March 16

March 30