6 mins
Roger Hill, Anas Hamra
Short Documentary
2016 - Palestine, Gaza & California, US & New York, US

Canadian Premiere

Screening with: Gaza Surf Club

Tawfiq’s Reef is centered on the story of Tawfiq Abu Riyala a Gaza fisherman who was shot dead by the Israeli Navy while attempting to build a man-made reef off the coast of Gaza, in order to catch fish and provide for his family. This is a story of the plight of Palestinian fisherman in Gaza, heavily restricted in the area in which they can fish, often indebted, shot at, harassed or imprisoned by the Israeli Navy on the narrow sliver of fishing waters available to them off the Gaza coastline. Tawfiq’s story is one of desperation, family ties, and the camaraderie between Gaza fishermen … One of the most dangerous professions in the world. This is a short documentary about a people under siege and the ingenious, and often dangerous, solutions they attempt to scratch out a living for themselves.