In this split-screen opera-documentary about boycott activism, two Palestinian brothers plot with novelist Jean Genet in Jericho to sabotage the 2021 Eurovision song contest.
For the second year in a row, QFFU is proud to join forces with Palestinian Film Festival Amsterdam. Amidst a world that seems to finally be waking up to the horrors unfolding in Palestine, this program serves as a reminder that Palestinians have been fighting for liberation from and calling attention to the settler colonial regime way before the most recent spike in genocidal violence. Recorded in 2021 and premiered in 2022, this program familiarizes the viewer with the zionist machine’s pinkwashing tactics meant to erase the existence of queer Palestinians, while simultaneously highlighting the impactful way Palestinian queer activists resist these strategies.
Outraged by the latest bombing of Gaza, Palestinian queer activists Hamza and Walid recruit queer novelist Jean Genet to help them sabotage the Eurovision song contest in Jericho. Their method? Secure the collaboration of Buddy and Pedro, Toronto’s famous gay penguins. The emergence of queer BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) as a dynamic Palestinian-led global movement is brought to vivid life through interviews and actions, opera and agitprop, protests and pranks. Recounting fifteen years of activism in Toronto and worldwide, Photo Booth juxtaposes a surreal operatic narrative with documentary scenes. Doing so, it explores pride and pink-washing, gay soldiers and homo-nationalism. Besides this it also explores resistance movements such as Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, and the accelerating and undeniable weaponization of accusations of anti-Semitism, the intensity of which we have witnessed over the past two years.
All proceeds from this program will go to alQaws in support of queer rights in Palestine.
The PFFA was born out of a commitment to address the exclusion of indigenous directors from Palestinian film programmes in the Netherlands, and to create a platform that amplifies the cinematographic storytelling and artistry of both emerging and veteran Palestinian directors.
Approaching their tenth anniversary, PFFA’s commitment to preserve the only Palestinian film festival in the Benelux is stronger than ever. Foregrounding Palestinian filmmakers and the historical context of Palestinian cinema, this year’s edition once again showcases a diverse array of films, featuring shorts, features, and documentaries. Save the date, from October 9-12!
