Description
by Adam Shapiro, Perla Issa, Aseel Mansour
Chronicles of a Refugee is a 6-part documentary film series looking at the global Palestinian refugee experience over the last 60 years. Starting with ‘al-Nakba’ (catastrophe) in 1948 (part I) and continuing through repeated community and individual expulsions (part II) and enduring discrimination by virtue of being Palestinian (part III), the first three episodes are more historical and informative, presenting an almost comprehensive review of 60 years of dispossession.
The last three parts tackle many issues facing Palestinian refugees, and are meant to open up debate on taboo and contentious issues. Part IV deals with identity formation and the impact of being in diaspora. Part V looks at strategies for the Right of Return and who is doing what to achieve realization of this right. Part VI focuses on issues of leadership and representation, from the perspective of what kind of representation have Palestinians had over time and what do they want now.
Filmed in over 15 countries, with more than 250 interviews of Palestinian refugees who have lived in over 25 countries, this is the first documentary film to look at the global Palestinian refugee experience over the last 60 years. The film presents Palestinian refugees who were displaced in 1948 and their descendants, and includes the wide range of age, socio-economic status, education level, etc.
About the Crew
Chronicles of a Refugee is an independently produced film made by Adam Shapiro, Perla Issa and Aseel Mansour, with a musical score by Ramallah Underground and Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh. Funding for the project was made possible through individual contributions and the film is in no way associated with any organization, political party, faction or otherwise.
Adam Shapiro is co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement, and has previously made the documentaries ‘About Baghdad’, ‘Darfur Diaries’, ‘Becoming Nadya’ and ‘Nowhere to Flee’.
Perla Issa is a Palestinian from Lebanon, who recently produced a short documentary on Nahr Al-Bared. She also worked with Shapiro on the documentary ‘Nowhere to Flee’ and was part of the team that produced the documentary series, ‘Arabs and Terrorism’.
Assel Mansour is an indpependent Palestinian filmmaker from Jordan. His filmography includes ‘Little Feet’, ‘Nightmares of Reality’, and ‘Alert Guns’ (co-directed).
Preview
10-minute preview on YouTube
Reviews, in English
The Daily Star (Lebanon): Weaving together the diverse narratives of Palestinians in exile
Mondoweiss (NY): On Yom Kippur, Adam Shapiro and a Ballroom Dancer Screen a Nakba Documentary With Holocaust Echoes
The National (UAE): A Voice for the Refugees
The Khaleej Times (UAE): Documentary on Palestinian Refugees Being Screened in Capital
Reviews, in Arabic
The Daily Star (Lebanon): Weaving together the diverse narratives of Palestinians in exile
As-Safir (Arabic): ‘Chronicles of a refugee’ does what is the duty of the PLO to have done
Al-Akhbar (Arabic): “Chronicles of a refugee” documents the journey of diaspora.
