Overview
- Winner of the 2024 Palestine Book Award for Oral History
- Presents the author's personal eyewitness tribute to the revolutionary pioneers of Palestinian cinema
- Offers a historical journey into the origins of revolutionary Palestinian cinema through the Palestine Film Unit
Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Arab Cinema (PASTARCI)
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About this book
This book is an account of the creation of the Palestine Film Unit (PFU) and the stories of its founding members, from the initial development of a photography department in the early years of the Palestinian revolution (1967-1968) to its evolution in the mid-1970s into the Palestinian Cinema Institution. Author Khadijeh Habashneh weaves her own memories into excerpts from letters and other communications of survivors, friends and PFU members, accompanied by scholarly analysis of the work and contributions of this remarkable film movement from the late 1960s to the early 1980s. As such, this book offers a unique perspective on this aspect of Palestine film history - which ended in mid-1980s with the loss of its archive - providing details that have not been previously published in English.
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Keywords
Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Reviews
“The book contains a number of useful appendices featuring the manifestos of the various film organizations, correspondence between Ali and Habashneh, filmographies from the PFU and PCI, and biographies of various members. … several topical elements and now-familiar images emerge throughout the book. One is its relevance the reader can attribute to many of today’s concerns regarding film criticism and the state of affairs in Palestine today.” (Henri de Corinth, Senses of Cinema, sensesofcinema.com, Issue 110, August, 2024)
“In the late 1960s, as Palestinian filmmakers like Mustafa Abu Ali struggled to establish a cinematic presence, the field of battle was both literal and metaphorical. ... Abu Ali’s journey from Al-Malha to becoming a leading figure in Palestinian cinema exemplifies this dual struggle. His personal experiences of displacement and loss gave him a unique perspective on the importance of authentic storytelling, making him a central figure in the creation of a Palestinian cinematic identity.” (Anjuman Rahman, palestinebookawards.com, November, 2024)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Khadijeh Habashneh (also known as Khadijeh Abu Ali) is a researcher, film maker, and activist for women’s rights and human rights. She worked as a volunteer with the PFU, and became an integral member in 1974, when the unit evolved into the Palestinian Cinema Institution (PCI). From 1976-1982, she worked as the head of the Archive and Cinematheque of the PCI, and wrote and directed two documentaries, including Children Without Childhood, also known as Children Nevertheless. Habashneh has also worked extensively on women’s issues. She was a founding member of the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW), in which she served as an executive member from 1980-2009, as well as the Center for Women’s Studies in Jordan, where she served as vice president from 1989-1997. She has also taught and published several books and articles in this field.
Translator
Nadine Fattaleh, currently a PHD student in Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University, has an M.S. in Architecture from Columbia University, and previously worked on projects for spatial research at the MMAG Foundation for Art and Culture in Jordan.
Translation Editor
Samirah Alkassim, an assistant professor in the Film and Video Studies program at George Mason University, writes about Arab cinema and co-edits the Palgrave Studies on Arab Cinema
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Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Knights of Cinema
Book Subtitle: The Story of the Palestine Film Unit
Authors: Khadijeh Habashneh
Translated by: Samirah Alkassim, Nadine Fattaleh
Series Title: Palgrave Studies in Arab Cinema
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-18858-9
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Cham
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media Studies, Literature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-031-18857-2Published: 09 June 2023
eBook ISBN: 978-3-031-18858-9Published: 08 June 2023
Series ISSN: 2731-4898
Series E-ISSN: 2731-4901
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XXIV, 221
Number of Illustrations: 71 b/w illustrations
Topics: Middle Eastern Culture, Film History, Screen Studies