In honor of Nakba Day—the annual commemoration of the 1948 mass displacement of Palestinians—the DC Palestinian Film & Arts Festival will host a screening of Gaza Ghetto: Portrait of a Palestinian Family, followed by a Q&A with director Joan Mandell.

May 15, 2025, marks the 77th anniversary of the Nakba (“catastrophe” in Arabic), when over 15,000 Palestinians were killed, more than 500 villages and 11 urban neighborhoods were destroyed or depopulated, and nearly one million people—over half the population of historic Palestine—were displaced from their homes. For Palestinians, Nakba Day is a time of mourning, remembrance, and continued resistance to erasure. It is also a reminder of the importance of preserving and sharing Palestinian narratives—stories of dispossession, resilience, and cultural survival.

In the first documentary film made in Gaza, Gaza Ghetto (1984) highlights the historical precedents that fuel the current cycles of violence and continue at the heart of the Israeli Occupation. Intimate scenes of family life (a child born, a grandmother dies) in Jabalia, the largest Palestinian refugee camp, are intercut with visits to the architects of the Israeli military occupation. Ariel Sharon, Benyamin Beneliezar and soldiers on patrol candidly discuss their responsibilities. Spend 82 minutes with the Abu el-Adel family and you will understand how the roots of the Israeli occupation influence today’s harsh realities and dreams of peace, justice and stability.

Join us for a day of community and support. DCPFAF staff will be hosting downstairs and on the patio so come socialize, ask how to get involved, and let’s keep talking about Palestine.