The Left Berlin Film Club – The Land Speaks Arabic

At the end of the 19th century, Zionism, a minority political movement, appears on the international stage. Theorised by its historical leaders, it called for the creation of a Jewish state, potentially in Palestine.

Yet for thousands of years, the Land speaks Arabic: Palestine is inhabited by Arab people, the Palestinians.

Essentially based on Zionist leaders’ quotations, unused audiovisual archives, local press of that period, and testimonies of persons who witnessed pre-1948 Palestine, the film shows a crude light on the cleansing and the spoliation of the Palestinian land by the Zionists.

Maryse Gargour was born in Jaffa, Palestine. She holds a journalism certificate and is undertaking a doctorate in Sciences de l’Information in Paris (at the time).

She has worked as a journalist in Beirut and in Paris, as well as in the International Cinema and Television Council of UNESCO (Paris).

She has directed several documentaries including:

• My Jaffa (1997)
• Blanche’s Homeland (2001)

To prepare yourself for the film and discussion, we recommend the following texts:

• Fayez A Sayegh – Zionist Colonialism in Palestine
• Abdul-Wahab Kayyali – Zionism and Imperialism: The Historical Origins

The film lasts 61 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A with palidairies