Ahmed Masoud with Led By Donkeys

 

Sorry... there is just to much to flag, even for a news journalist...

🚨 This morning we turned the street outside Labour Party Headquarters in London into Jabaliya camp in Gaza.

Listen to Ahmed Masoud talking about what the Israeli army did to his neighbourhood and family. A genocide is happening, but the Labour government is supplying weapons, intelligence and diplomatic cover to the perpetrator. Protesting this is not terrorism.

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I interviewed Ahmed in Bristol a few years ago, before 7 October 2023. You can read our exchange here:

Palestinian film festivals across UK screen solidarity and celebrate rising talent

From London to Bristol via Leeds, Palestinian cinema is celebrated across the UK in the months of November and December. After three difficult years for film festivals and the Palestinian cinematic industry, directors have renewed hope of exposure.

“Palestinians can be very funny,” the famous Gazan playwright and writer Ahmed Masoud told me, “and that’s what I want to show in my stories. I use dark humour to deal with our situation, which is indeed ridiculous. The occupation, the checkpoints. People on the ground have to laugh about it as well."

Ahmed studied English literature in Gaza before moving to London, where he found fame.  

He is a regular guest at the Bristol Palestine Film Festival and the main founder of the Pal Art Collective. 

“Palestinian artists are so diverse,” he adds. “We want to show this to the audience of such festivals, and help Palestinians to create new content, give them a platform in England”.

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I also wrote about his work here:

PalArt Festival at Rich Mix: A voice for Palestinian artists in the UK

The PalArt collective reunites Palestinian artists around London. Supported by Amnesty International UK, last weekend it held a four-day festival at Rich Mix. We spoke with poets, playwrights and participants to find out the festival's importance.

Melissa Chemam

04 November, 2022