Palestine, The Netherlands, Israel 2003, 56/84 min, SDA Trabelsi Production
by Juliano Mer Khamis
Arna's Children
A theatre workshop with children of the Jenin refugee camp was filmed from 1989 to 2003 by Juliano, a prominent actor in Palestine and Israel, and Arna's son. In the film, Juliano moves us between past and present to tell the kids' stories and the role of art as a weapon against the Occupation. In 2011, Juliano was shot to death in front of the same theatre.Arna came from a Jewish Zionist family and had met Juliano’s Palestinian father in the Communist party. She established an alternative educational system in Jenin in the West Bank to replace the formal one which was practically paralysed by the Israeli occupation.
In Juliano's words: "Yussef committed a suicide attack. Ashraf was killed in the battle of Jenin. Alla leads a fighting troupe. I, Juliano, directed them from 1989 – 1996 in the Freedom Theatre since they were small children. In 2002, I returned to the ruins of the camp with my camera, to see what happened to the children I loved…My film tries to tell and understand their story and choices."
IDFA (World Premiere 2003, Special Screening 2023), Tribeca (Best Doc), Vera Film Festival (Winner Special Award), Nyon (Special Mention & Young Jury Award), Prague (Best Doc), Kosovo (Best Doc), Hot Docs, INPUT Barcelona, Melbourne, 3 Continents Film Festival South Africa, Discovery Scotland's International Film Festival for Children and Young People, Document 2 Scotland, UK Jewish FF, The Arab FF San Francisco, Mill Valley FF, Viennale, Edmonton FF, All Roads Film Project, Dutch Academy Award for Best Documentary, One World, Annual Human Rights Documentary FF, UNESCO's Memory of the World Register 2025 Selection