Gaza open-air cinema a breath of fresh air for Palestinians

Gaza Strip residents were delighted for the past two weeks to sit in front of a large projector screen on a beach for the “Cinema of the Sea” film festival, a rare event in the Palestinian enclave that has no operating movie theaters.

The festival, which ended on Monday, screened some 15 films over two weeks, many of them with Palestinian actors or producers. Providing a respite from the heat, the waterfront "is the only outlet for the residents" in the impoverished territory, Ali Muhanna, a theater director involved in the initiative, told AFP.

Organized by Al-Bahr Elna Cooperative cafe in partnership with the culture ministry, the open-air festival screened films such as “Farha,” a Jordanian film that depicts the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that led to the Jewish state's creation, as well as "Ferdinand,” an animated blockbuster that tells the story of a giant but soft-hearted black bull.

The first film screenings in Gaza date to the 1940s, with the opening of the Samer Cinema, whose building now houses a car dealership.

Cinemas were forced to close in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian uprising. They reopened following the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s, but for years have largely been gathering dust.

While not explicitly banned, Hamas authorities fear cinemas may amplify what they view as foreign or Western beliefs that go against Islamic traditions. There have been some outdoor screenings in recent years, most notably amid the rubble of buildings destroyed in conflicts between Israel and Gaza-based terrorists.