Palestinian actor champions art as resistance amid decades of struggle

Veteran Palestinian actor Kamel Al-Basha, celebrated for his commitment to portraying Palestinian stories on the global stage, has brought two significant films to this year's El Gouna Film Festival (GFF).  

Through ‘An Orange from Jaffa’ and ‘Thank You for Dreaming with Us’, Al-Basha offers audiences a glimpse into the resilience, resistance, and complex realities faced by Palestinians.

In ‘An Orange from Jaffa*, directed by Mohamed El Moghni, Al-Basha plays a driver entangled in the ordeal of crossing Israeli checkpoints, a depiction meant to highlight the daily struggles endured by Palestinians under occupation.

The film, a Palestinian-Polish-French collaboration, captures the tension and endurance of Palestinian identity.

“This film sheds light on the sadism inflicted on Palestinians and their ongoing suffering,” Al-Basha explained, emphasizing the film’s unique angle on life under occupation.

Al-Basha’s second film, ‘Thank You for Dreaming with Us’, by director Laila Abbas, delves into family dynamics amid the struggle for justice and heritage in Palestine.

Al-Basha plays the uncle of two sisters who face the legal complexities of inheritance under religious law.

The film, a Palestinian-German-Qatari production, explores familial tensions within the broader context of a society seeking both dignity and equality.

During his time at El Gouna, Al-Basha expressed admiration for Palestinian director Maha Haj's film ‘After’, a work he described as uniquely transporting audiences into Palestine’s layered social landscape.

He sees art festivals as a vital platform for Palestinians and Arabs to resist through creativity, even as Palestine faces ongoing challenges. "Our biggest challenge as Palestinians is to keep creating, to show the world our strength and worthiness of life despite 75 years of struggle,” he said.

Beyond film, Al-Basha voiced his commitment to portraying truthful narratives of the Arab experience. He has consistently turned down roles that stereotype Arabs, seeing it as his responsibility to resist harmful portrayals.

"An artist must be intelligent enough to recognize the risks of accepting such roles," he emphasized, affirming that his work aligns with his vision for Palestine’s freedom and dignity.

Currently, Al-Basha is engaged in a historic Egyptian film, ‘Lion’, directed by Mohamed Diab, set 200 years ago, and will soon begin work on a Palestinian film about a woman awaiting her imprisoned lover, exploring the emotional toll of long-term incarceration.

Reflecting on his art and activism, Al-Basha underscored that Palestinians resist not only for survival but for a future free of occupation. “No occupation lasts forever,” he declared. “One day, Palestine will be liberated. That is my greatest dream.”

The El Gouna Film Festival is an annual film festival established in 2017, held in the Red Sea resort town of El Gouna, Egypt.

The seventh edition of the event, which opened on October 24, runs up to November 01, 2024.