The award-winning animated short film titled "I Am From Palestine," which tells the story of a Palestinian girl living in the United States, has been presented to audiences worldwide.
Following the attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip, where thousands, mostly women and children, were killed, the film was made available on YouTube. It depicts the experiences of Saamidah, a young Palestinian girl who cannot locate her country on the map.
Rifk Ebeid, the author of the book from which the film is adapted, "Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine," is a Palestinian American. Ebeid, who started her human rights advocacy in university and continued by writing children's stories after becoming a mother, told an Anadolu Agency (AA) correspondent: "My father is from Hebron, and my mother is from Jerusalem. My entire family still lives in Jerusalem. When we were growing up, we would visit every summer and stay for a few months; all my childhood memories are there."
Ebeid, expressing her passion to reach wider audiences through a different method than traditional activism after completing university, said: "I know that we, as Palestinians, have a long literary tradition. However, I hadn't seen books written in English specifically for children. I wanted to have something that would continue to serve even if I were not there. Because even if I am gone, my books, my words will still be there."
Ebeid, explaining how the idea of writing a children's book came about, continued: "In my book 'Baba, What Does My Name Mean? A Journey to Palestine,' I drew inspiration from my own children. I gave them names of different cities in Palestine, anticipating the day they would ask me, 'Why did you give me this name? What does it mean?' That was the starting point of the idea."
"Additionally, the summers I spent in Palestine were the most unforgettable experiences of my life. Therefore, I wanted to create a way for children who couldn't go to Palestine to feel as if they were touring there, learning about different cities and what makes each city famous. It's like taking the reader on a tour of Palestine."
"We grow up knowing that we are Palestinians and that we are fighting for our freedom. However, often as children, we don't know much beyond that. So, I wanted children to truly see our pre-Zionist history and understand that they can fight for a future without Zionism."
Ebeid stated that she discussed the release time of the animation with her director friend after the start of Israel's attacks on Oct. 7. She emphasized, "The reason we did this is that, especially during a time when people are listening, we have seen how crucial it is for the voices and stories of Palestinians to be heard."
In this period of inhumane practices against the Palestinian people, Ebeid mentioned that they created the animation to contribute to the struggle. She explained, "To directly receive information from us, to hear about our experiences, to understand what is happening there, and to explain why the genocide is allowed to continue with full force."
Pointing to the release of the film as a means to continue shouting the truth, Ebeid made the following remarks: "We know that the Israeli propaganda machine spends millions of dollars, and they are afraid to hear our voice. We face censorship in every sector. It's not just valid on social media; people lose their jobs, face censorship on television and are censored everywhere.
"That's why this is very important for us. Yes, we feel devastated, horrified and helpless. However, we must continue to use our voice to amplify the voices of Palestinians in the field and to make Palestinian stories heard."
The director of the film, Iman Zawahry, mentioned that the majority of her work revolves around American Muslim activists, especially filmmakers, and highlighted being one of the first American Muslim film producers who wears a headscarf.
Zawahry, who shared that she lives in the same city as Rifk Ebeid and has been friends with her since childhood, said, "It was really exciting when Rifk wrote the book because the illustrator of the book was also an animator, Lamaa Jawhari."
Explaining that they crafted a story based on the experiences of Palestinian Americans, Zawahry stated: "Amplifying the voices of Palestinians was really important. The story was about a Palestinian American child who couldn't find their country on the map at school. They later question their identities, and we take them on a journey to discover their identities, showcasing the strength of Palestine as a country. Palestine is strong; it has a rich culture, and it is something to be very proud of. Furthermore, we wanted to empower children to express themselves in an unsupported area, let them know there is a supportive community behind them."
Zawahry conveyed that the process of turning the book into animation was a lengthy journey. She provided information about the preparation of the film produced by Ebeid, its journey through festivals, and its release on YouTube.
Zawahry expressed that, like everyone else, she watches events unfold every morning with sadness and becomes angry because there isn't enough outcry against injustice worldwide.
"We are activists trying to do our best in everything we do in the field. Through protests, propaganda, and journalism, we are trying to make our voices heard in every possible way," she stated.
"People see the inhumane injustice and genocide happening in Palestine. So, it's not just a single voice shouting at the wall anymore; there are now numerous voices, yet it's still not enough. We should continue to push, shove and strive as much as we can. We shouldn't fear the voices trying to take away our humanity and our work because this is more important than anything else," she added.
The award-winning short animated film tells the story of Saamidah, a Palestinian living in the United States. The film depicts her anxiety on the first day of school, where she questions her identity when faced with a world map that does not include the name of her country.
Following a conversation with her father, Saamidah embarks on an imaginary journey to Palestine, gaining a sense of belonging to her homeland. The next day, she confidently shares her country's story in class.
The film has been showcased at various festivals, including the RiverRun International Film Festival, the Chicago Palestine Film Festival, the Inca Imperial International Film Festival, the Arab Film Festival, the Leeds Palestinian Film Festival, the San Diego International Film Festival, the Spark Micro-Short Film Festival, the Muslim Film Festival, the Huntington Beach Cultural Film Festival, the Eastern Nigeria International Film Festival, the Palestinian Refugees Film Festival, the Portland Film Festival and the Toronto Syria Film Festival. It has received several awards.
The animation is credited to Lamaa Jawhari and Fadia Jaradat, with music by Abed Hathot and Akram Haddad. The songs used in the film belong to the El-Funoun Palestinian Dance Troupe. Grace Ibrahim is credited with the film's editing.
With over 600,000 views and thousands of comments, the film can be accessed on the YouTube page Rifk Books.
